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Chapter Text

Late and dark was the winter night, the sort of chill hung in the air where every breath misted before one's face and ice had started to form on grass leaving them looking like glittering daggers. The occasional waft of it followed Abigail into the hospital as she made her way through the automatic doors and up to the maternity ward. Will had gone into labor some hours earlier while she'd been in one of her remote classes and Hannibal at work. As expected, Hannibal had dropped everything and taken Will to the hospital while Abigail had finished her class, fed then readied the twins before she'd taken them over to the House with the aid of Dolarhyde – all organized by Hannibal of course. With them under Beverly's care and somewhere safe, she'd made her way to the hospital hoping to meet her little sibling.

Just as with the twins, the newest Lecter had decided they wanted to be born and were rather swift about it. So, by the time Abigail had questioned a midwife as to where her fathers were, said little sibling had already entered the world. For a full year now Abigail had been part of a proper family, she had parents who loved her and siblings that looked up to her, her education was again on track and she'd even made a friend in Marissa Schurr. Yes, things were going well for the Lecters and Abigail was proud to be one of them.

She knocked on the door before slipping inside to see Will sweaty and tired but holding a baby lovingly in his arms while Hannibal watched over them. His hair had fallen over his forehead making him look years younger, but otherwise Hannibal didn't have a stitch out of place.

"Ah, Abigail, there you are." Hannibal beckoned her closer and snaked an arm around her shoulder once she had reached him. "I trust everything went well with taking the twins to Beverly?"

"Yeah. All good. Things good here? How's Will."

"I'm fine." Will assured with a comforting smile before nodding down to the tiny baby. "As is your brother."

"Brother?" She'd got another little brother? Honestly, none of them had cared what gender the baby turned out to be, but she couldn't help thinking she and Veronique were somewhat outnumbered. "It's a boy?"

Any fly on the wall of that room would have seen only a happy family celebrating the birth of a new member, they'd have no clue about the blood on all of their hands or the darkness that followed them. The Lecters were a family of killers, it was the glue that bound them. Most people were so oblivious when it came to the truth, and it didn't help that Hannibal Lecter was a master manipulator.

"Yes." Will nodded. Abigail moved closer to see the baby while Hannibal rounded the other side of the bed and perched on it. Already they could tell he'd be a copy of Hannibal just as Claude was. "We were debating names before you came in, I think we've finally settled on one though."

Sebastian Lecter, that was her youngest brother's name and one which suited him well. Abigail, Claude, Veronique and Sebastian, the children of a demon and his prince.

~X~

With Sebastian having been born a few days late rather then prematurely like the twins, there hadn't been nearly as long a wait before Will and the baby had been allowed to return home. Hannibal felt terrible for his beloved Bentley though, with three young children he feared for its interior. Maybe he'd invest in a Range Rover, something befitting his wealth and taste but far more practical for carting around small children. He'd been debating getting Will a car for a while now, so maybe Sebastian could be his excuse.

The moment they'd gotten Sebastian settled in his crib at home both his fathers had breathed a sigh of relief, he was officially safe and surrounded by their scents. The last of Hannibal's guest rooms had gone though. Having opted to give the twins their own rooms and Sebastian the nursery and since adopting Abigail, all five bedrooms were spoken for – wasn't like Hannibal had ever really had guests anyway.

"He already looks like you, Hannibal." Said Will as he leaned against his mate drawing him out of his thoughts. "Maybe I should be jealous all our pups look and act more like you than me."

"Nonsense, mylimasis, the twins and Sebastian all have your hair and I'm sure more of you will show itself in them as they grow."

The twins wandered in then clearly curious about their new brother and bored with whatever game Abigail had been occupying them with. Though still so young, Claude never let his sister out of his sight and always held her hand if they went outside. Hannibal had done the same with Mischa when they'd been young; hopefully Claude would protect Veronique where Hannibal had failed their aunt.

Without needing to be asked, they lifted the twins into their arms so they could see Sebastian, but Hannibal clung a little tighter to his daughter than usual. A namesake was all that remained of his beautiful sister.

"He's tiny." Muttered the girl causing Will to laugh.

"He's a baby, Roni, they're always small. You and Claude were tiny, too. He'll get bigger."

Will was the only one who ever called their daughter Roni and, thankfully, it seemed it would stay that way. Hannibal wasn't a fan or shortening such a beautiful name, but he couldn't deny Will anything.

"Will we get big like you, Papa?"

Hannibal smiled at his firstborn son. "You shall indeed."

Nothing could be set in stone regarding which dynamic a child would present as until puberty, but Hannibal saw the signs in Claude well enough and was positive he'd be an alpha. Veronique was slightly harder to judge but he leaned toward omega. Sebastian though, it would be years before even guesses could be made.

Will pulled Hannibal's attention away from the pups then when his tone became rather serious and blue eyes fixed on him.

"Abigail said the FBI came to see you again while I was at the hospital. They still wanting you to help them profile the Flag Killer?"

"They are, but there's no need to worry. I have no interest in catching him unless he interferers with my or Francis' work. Tattlecrime is still pushing the theory that he's some twisted copycat of me, but the FBI know better. Still, my kills keep people reading."

Will grumbled a moment. "I don't like them hanging around us, Hannibal. What if they figure out who you really are? If they look too closely they'll realize my ID saying I'm from Shreveport instead of Baton Rouge is a lie. That ID might say the correct name, but everything else is still fake. Then what? We'd lose Abigail and they'd find hers is fake too. The pups-"

Hannibal cut his mate off by enveloping him and the twins in a hug; ever the protective alpha and determined to ease his omega's worries before he upset the children.

"There isn't any need for you to be apprehensive, Will. No one is suspicious of me or our family. As far as the FBI is concerned, I am an alpha of stellar reputation who has done exactly as they requested. The Flag Killer knows nothing of us, he isn't a threat and will not bring doom to our door. I am simply their preferred psychiatrist at the moment."

Will took a breath; logically he knew Hannibal to be right but he'd never be rid of that voice in the very back of his mind that told him everything would be stripped away eventually, that all of it would end bloody and cold.

"I guess you're right, I should be focused on Sebastian. I just don't like the idea of them loitering around us."

"Papa?" Hannibal's maroon eyes fell to Claude's own. "Why is Daddy sad?"

He flashed the child a smile. "He's not, son. Everything is all right." Will pulled the boy closer, squeezed him and kissed the top of his head lovingly. "Why don't you and Veronique go get Winston ready? It's almost time for his walk and I'm sure Abigail would like the company."

The twins didn't need telling twice, they'd inherited their love of dogs from Will and jumped at any opportunity to be around the animal. They fussed for their fathers to set them down, then hurried off out the room in search of their big sister and Winston. Both Will and Hannibal watched them go before their attention turned back to one another. In an instant Will had filled his mate's arms and clung to him tightly. The omega mumbled an apology for worrying the elder man but Hannibal brushed it off as not needed. Will hadn't long given birth, his hormones were still trying to stabilize and protecting their identities would always be a source of anxiety and stress for them. Will's concerns had been perfectly understandable and nothing that needed an apology.

"I love you, Will. You are my mate. I love Abigail, the twins and Sebastian, they are my pups. I have only ever truly loved one other person and I failed Mischa. I will not fail the five of you."

Will clung tighter to Hannibal, breathed in that comforting alpha scent and fisted the back of his suit jacket. "I know you won't, and I know you love us. I won't ask you to tell me what happened to your sister, I know you don't want to talk about her, but you know she loved you, right? She was your baby sister, of course Mischa loved you."

Bless Will's kindness. Most probably assumed Hannibal to be immune to things like trauma, didn't realize the unflappable exterior was just a shell and that the loss of his dear sister had left Hannibal mute for a number of years afterwards. Hannibal's PTSD wasn't something that anyone other than Will knew about and that was the way it would remain.

~X~

Even with the final renovation happening to the House, assisting the FBI and a new pup to care for, Hannibal had found time to restock the refrigerators. Dermot Driscoll was the name of his latest victim, a rather rude and arrogant attorney, and Hannibal had taken just about every organ from him as well as a few good steaks. Will was still healing and needed all his strength back.

While his family wasn't banned from the basement, it wasn't a place any but him normally had cause to be, so Hannibal indulged in the silence as he unpacked his bounty from the cooler and put them away in the fridges. In just his waistcoat and shirtsleeves Hannibal looked significantly more casual that usual, but this was his quiet time after all. Kokoretsi was a dish he'd not prepared in a while and something Will had rather enjoyed, maybe he'd pair it with a pickled salad.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs then and Hannibal glanced to his watch before closing the cooler. Late was the hour so, instead of greeting his eldest properly, he simply continued tidying away his things as he spoke.

"You should be in bed, Abigail."

"I know, Papa." That was something she'd picked up from the twins after Claude had questioned why she called their parents by their first names. After that she'd slowly started using papa and dad more and more until it had become second nature to her. Seeing Will's face light up when she'd first called him dad had been the highlight of Hannibal's week. "I can't sleep."

That finally had him face her. "Would you like me to get you something to help?"

If that meant warm milk or sedatives Abigail wasn't entirely sure – possibly both knowing Hannibal Lecter. Regardless she shook her head and padded further into the sterile basement.

"No, thank you. I did want to ask you something though."

Yes, Hannibal had already figured that out for himself. The teenager would have shown significantly more interest in the organs and meat he'd come home with were there nothing else on her mind.

"And what would that be, Abigail?"

"Well, there's a performance of King Lear at the end of next month, and I'd like to go see it. We've been studying the play in my online classes and our teacher said it might be good for us to watch the Ian McKellen version rather than just reading it. I heard about the performance and thought, maybe seeing it live would be helpful as well. It's just – well, the tickets aren't exactly cheep and they're selling out fast."

Hannibal hardly even paused to think about it before he nodded and began rolling his sleeves back down. "Very well. If you wish to see the play then I would be happy to take you. If you would like to you can invite your friend Marissa to join us."

Abigail seemed taken aback and actually furrowed her brow a little. "Wait, really? Just like that?"

He gave her a soft smile, the fatherly one he'd not known he had until the twins had been born. "Abigail, you should know by now that if you simply ask me politely for what you want, you will probably get it. I am rather pleased you have taken an interest in the theatre and literature, many your age don't anymore. I will purchase tickets tomorrow afternoon once I'm finished with my patient, so make sure to ask Marissa first thing in the morning."

"Okay." She nodded happily. "Thank you, Papa."

Abigail hugged him then and Hannibal stroked her dark hair gently. Gone was the scared little girl Jack Crawford had tried to make her, instead he held Abigail Lecter in his arms and she was most certainly her father's daughter.

Chapter Text

While totally unintentional on Abigail's part, the trip to see King Lear had turned into something of a family outing for the older members of the Lecter clan. Beverly, Reba and Alana had taken the twins and Sebastian for the night at the House and, while he itched to be with his baby, an evening away would be good for Will. He trusted his friends to take care of his three pups and knew Hannibal quietly delighted in showing his omega off. When Abigail had asked to see the play she probably should have expected her papa to book a box for them rather than sitting them with the peasants; it had given her an excuse to wear the lovely black dress Hannibal had bought her though while her fathers had donned their tuxedos. Marissa looked a little lost, like she'd not quite realized just how rich Hannibal truly was. Psychiatry really was a lucrative profession if one played their cards correctly, helped the man was quite literally Lithuanian nobility as well.

Both Will and Hannibal had pretended not to overhear the girls when Marissa had quietly questioned what was around Will's neck and the subsequent explanation of an omega collar and what it meant. Sometimes it seemed like betas were a totally different species to alphas and omegas, they'd invented marriage as a makeshift mating, wedding rings were a copy of omega collars and yet betas hardly seemed aware of any of it.

When the house lights had gone down and the play begun Hannibal had glanced to his mate and daughter, it was nice for them to do something as a family that didn't involve the House. Besides, experiencing a little culture was beneficial for everybody.

A few hours passed with the group in silence save for the occasional shuffle as they shifted in their chairs, and Hannibal had to admit the actor playing Edmund had a real talent for bringing the character to life. Then, as it always did, the intermission came and everyone ventured out in search of drinks, chatter or just the restrooms. Marissa and the Lecters had gone for the former two which was where the Komedas found them and quickly pulled them into conversation.

"I might have known we'd run into you here, Hannibal." Missus Komeda grinned while her husband stood quietly beside her as usual. "Hello again, Will, and what a pleasure it is to see Abigail here. I'm afraid I don't know your friend."

Etiquette said Abigail should have done the introductions but Marissa simply shook Missus Komeda's hand and introduced herself.

"Marissa Schurr. I go to school with Abigail. Doctor Lecter was kind enough to invite me along this evening, and I'm very grateful he did, the play is excellent. Your the author, right? I recognize you from your book covers."

"That's me, my dear, recognized for my sins." The older woman's red lipstick pulled her lips into a dramatic smile before turning to Will clearly done with Marissa now her ego had been stroked. "News travels fast, I hear there is a new Lecter. Congratulations. You simply must tell me the name, you and Hannibal chose such beautiful names for your twins."

"Sebastian." Will supplied. "His name is Sebastian."

"Oh, how suave and elegant."

A blond alpha in his early twenties made his way up to the Komedas then and handed over a glass of red wine which earned a hum of gratitude from the beta woman. She paused a moment to take a sip before gesturing to the blond.

"This is Anders Corvene, he's my nephew." Yes, Hannibal vaguely remembered her mentioning a nephew once before – something about him being handsome and smart if he recalled correctly. "Anders, these are Doctor Hannibal Lecter, his mate Will, their daughter Abigail and her friend."

The blond alpha flashed each of them a smile though his eyes lingered on Abigail a moment. "A pleasure to meet you all. My aunt has mentioned you before, Doctor Lecter. I must say, I am rather a fan of your time as a surgeon."

Though they all conversed for several minutes, Hannibal spent the whole time assessing Anders as best he could. The man was Will's height with a messy undercut and perceiving gray eyes, he was broad, personable and most certainly lived up to the word handsome. However, something about him put Hannibal on alert and it wasn't simply that this was the most dominant alpha in the building after himself, or maybe it was the amount of attention Anders paid to his sixteen-year-old daughter.

Eventually though, the lights flickered and they said their goodbyes so they could watch the second half. Missus Komeda had rather strongly pushed for Hannibal to throw another dinner party because it was 'a whole show' every time he cooked, but his dinner parties could be placed on hold until Sebastian was older just as they had after the twins had been born.

Freed from their conversation, the four of them returned to their box and watched the rest of the play.

~X~

Will's eyes opened. It was dark, too dark, no moonlight drifted in from underneath the bedroom curtains. He could hear Claude, Veronique and Sebastian all crying in the distance – a cacophony which had him launch out of bed not stopping to wonder why Hannibal wasn't in bed beside him. He had to get to his pups, had to find out what was wrong. Claude's room was first and the door kicked open but Claude wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Claude?!" No response came, just the continued distant crying.

He hurried to Veronique's room to find another empty bed, then the nursery where Sebastian's crib lay just as vacant. Tears pricked his eyes as fear overtook him. Where were his pups?! He could hear them but they were nowhere to be found. Will's heart beat faster and faster in his chest as he screamed out for them and searched, as he begged for his alpha to help him.

In a desperate panic he charged downstairs in the pitch black, uncaring for his own safety, and through the dining room to the kitchen where he came to a dead halt. There, lined up on the island of stainless steel was a sight that nearly broke him. His pups tied up like some sort of roast while Jack Crawford smirked from the other side of the island. In his hands was a Glock which he aimed at the children in turn.

"Poor little Will, always so week." Jack taunted. "You're nothing without that pathetic alpha, are you?"

"Hannibal!" Where was his alpha? Where was the sire of his pups who'd vowed to protect them all? "Hannibal!"

"He can't help you." Will jolted away as Mason entered the room and walked towards the island dragging Abigail by the hair behind him; she kicked and screamed but couldn't break free.

Will felt as though he couldn't breathe, his chest felt tight and his mind fogged. The world shook from side to side as tears blurred his vision.

"Will." The shaking came faster. "Will, wake up. William!"

The omega shot upright in bed dripping sweat and crying profusely. Hannibal was there beside him whispering soft words and holding him close. A nightmare? Had a nightmare really felt that real? His alpha continued to soothe him, pet his sweaty hair and assure him all was well, but that didn't stop Will shaking.

"The pups-"

"Are safe, I assure you. It is 3:19 am. You are in Baltimore, Maryland. Your name is Will Graham."

Hannibal's calm and annunciated words eased Will's mind, drew him back to the real world and away from Jack's smirk. He and Mason were dead, they'd hurt nobody else.

"Do – do you think my screaming woke the twins up? I don't want to scare them."

A kiss found its way to Will's sweaty forehead. "I don't think so, but how about we check on them all anyway? You get your breath back and then we'll go."

~X~

Yet another victim of the Chesapeake Ripper had been discovered not too far from Wolf Trap. This one had been Gareth Redgrave in life, a sockbroker originally from Kentucky who'd not had so much as a parking fine. The Ripper had taken his kidneys, liver and heart, then filled the cavity with straw and strung him up with wire like a scarecrow. Clearly there was a message but FBI hadn't quite worked out what it was just yet. Special Agent Michael McCoy – or, annoyingly enough, Bones to his co-workers – shouldn't have been there. He'd been put on the Flag Killer case, but something had told him, given long enough, the Flag Killer would become as prolific as the Chesapeake Ripper and McCoy wanted to see if he could look at the murderer from a new angle by taking a look at the Ripper. Trophies were taken from the Ripper's victims unlike the Flag Killer's, but both men obviously thought themselves artists. There had been a rumor go around the crime scene investigators that the Ripper was actually a demon who could teleport, that was why there wasn't ever any useful evidence left behind, and, though McCoy thought the idea of demons stupid, he could see why that was the conclusion they'd been left with. The Chesapeake Ripper would end up in the history books as one who got away just like Jack the Ripper had, the Flag Killer would be there with them if McCoy didn't find a lead soon. No, looking at the case by looking at another serial killer was a lie, he'd just wanted to remind himself he wasn't the only agent failing to stop a murderer.

Age, gender, dynamic, race, nothing had any baring he could see on how either serial killer chose a victim. Sure, there weren't any recorded omega victims, but that could have just been because they'd not been viewed as a challenge rather than something of note. These two weren't like the Tooth Fairy, he killed anybody inside whichever house he'd chosen, that one was a wild animal while the Ripper and Flag Killer had disturbingly more refined approach to slaughter. Anything useful he knew about his target had come from Doctor Lecter – that man had been a well of useful knowledge and insight. However, an overachieving alpha medical student hadn't narrowed McCoy's suspect pool as much as he'd have thought. Turned out that all medical students were either all about 'I want to help people' or were the overachieving arrogant sort – disturbing, some were both.

He sighed as he stared at Redgrave strung up before him. What possessed people to murder each other in such sadistic and flamboyant ways? There was nothing else for it, he'd need to speak with Doctor Lecter again and hope for something new. He felt like Inspector Lestrade from the Sherlock Holmes novels, a moron just waiting for someone else to solve the crime so he could shut the case down and move on.

Chapter Text

To say Will wasn't happy would have been an understatement. He hated being apart from his pups for too long, especially with Sebastian only being a few months old, so he sat in the Bentley grumbling to himself while Hannibal drove the last mile. Hannibal had kindly taken them out for brunch since he had no early patients and Will hadn't left the house in almost a week other than to let Winston into the backyard. Their day had been going rather nicely, then Special Agent McCoy had called demanding Hannibal join him at the latest crime scene the Flag Killer had made and deprived Will of getting home to his pups on time. Yes, Abigail was with them, but she'd surely be distracted by Marissa who had come over for an early study session. So Will grumbled while Hannibal drove and did his best to assure Will it wouldn't be too much of a delay.

The moment Hannibal's Bentley came to a stop McCoy had spun around and started toward them with a determined expression.

"This won't take long, Will. Our pups are perfectly safe with Abigail and I will let you order one of those horrific pizzas for dinner if you like."

That made Will laugh. "You've resorted to bribery already? Hannibal, I thought you had more in you."

"Be a good little omega, Will. You know I can't abide rudeness. Now, would you like to see what this killer is capable of first-hand?

Part of Will would always tell him not to enjoy the blood, the intricate art a killer could create, but he couldn't stop liking it. With a nod the pair exited the vehicle and strode the last few steps to McCoy.

"I'm sorry to call you over here out of the blue, Doctor Lecter, but I was hoping you might be able to give us more insight if you were to see the seen for yourself."

"Not a problem at all, Agent McCoy. Might I introduce my mate Will Graham."

"Nice to meet you." McCoy said more as an afterthought than real greeting before turning back to the task at hand. "The body is just over here in this grass. Hard to see from the parking lot but so very visible to anybody walking the paths on the other side."

They followed McCoy over to the body to find a woman flayed and impaled on a flag of her own skin just like the others. People could have been forgiven for mistaking her for a red mannequin upon first glance, but up close the muscles and dry blood was inescapable. Lifeless eyes stared out at the trail glassy and unnerving without eyelids to cradle them, teeth like pearly daggers jutting out of crimson gums.

While Hannibal looked to the medical skill used before moving on to the mental state, Will found something else when he looked at that woman's body, he saw the design.

"He was brave this time."

That comment drew the attention of both Hannibal and McCoy but for very different reasons. McCoy hadn't expected anything useful to come out of the omegas mouth while Hannibal had long wondered how much Will could truly see.

"Go on, Will." Hannibal encouraged.

"Flaying takes up my time – I don't mind because I want them to suffer, I want them to feel every second of pain and know I am responsible for it. I easily overpower my prey and that's exactly what they are, prey. These people have given up their rights as people and must now face my judgement. They are lower than animals. I know I need to work skilfully but I'm still new to this and make mistakes. Getting the skin off in one piece is harder than it looks. I'm still evolving. I've not been quite happy with it for a while though, having to take them elsewhere to do the deed then set them up somewhere like art. " Will began to circle the corpse. "I want them to watch me carry out their punishment, I want them to be alive when I place them so they know a place they cherished is mine now, not there's. They've forfeited their right to anything. I've been severing their vocal cords and restraining them to keep them quiet and still, but they move around too much and damage the flag. Why can no one accept their punishment? Why can't they take responsibility for what they've done? I'm a sadist, I enjoy seeing the shock and blood loss kill them slowly. I enjoy watching them realize there is no escaping me. I want them to reflect on their actions before I impale them, and then I watch the life leave their eyes. I observe my work, I oversee their deaths as it my duty as judge, jury and executioner. This is my design."

McCoy simply stared at Will for several seconds unsure of how to respond to his disturbingly accurate understanding of the Flag Killer. He'd consulted Hannibal due to his years of experience – the man was a damn expert – but Hannibal's mate had some kind of innate understanding of monsters an it had actually alarmed McCoy for a moment.

"I am inclined to agree with you entirely, Will." Hannibal told him as he left the body and returned to his mate's side. "He wants to kill on site even if it means he could be caught because it is another way to torture them. This parking lot serves the nature trails for this park, I wouldn't be surprised if you find she regularly comes here. He's stopped severing the vocal cords as well, he's found another way of shutting them up. He'll have started drugging them."

The federal agent seemed to snap out of his pondering about Will then flipped a little notebook open and quickly sifted through to the desired page. "Our guys found something in this and the last victim's toxicology. Roc – Rocru – Rockronium."

"Rocuronium," Hannibal corrected. "It is a neuromuscular blocker."

"A what?"

"A paralytic. Anyone injected with it would remain fully conscious and feel everything that was done to them, they'd just be unable to move. Rocuronium would also affect the muscles controlling breathing. I suspect your medical examiners will find signs of this woman having been intubated to prevent suffocation. His goal is to make them die slowly, he'd not risk them dying early and he's clearly got enough medical training to intubate a person."

"So he's making his work easier without comprising on how much they suffer? Fucking animal."

Will shook his head. "No. No, he isn't an animal. None of this is frenzied or wild, it's calm and calculated. He's highly organized and systematic."

McCoy found himself a little surprised by the omega's lack of emotion towards the scene itself, he was a FBI agent who'd been seeing horrors for years yet it had still shocked him. There was something not quite right about Will Graham, but he wasn't sure what to do about it if anything. Normally he was a man who'd speak his mind but having Hannibal's input was the best thing to happen to the Flag Killer case and he'd got no wish to lose him because McCoy had insulted the man's mate. So, abandoning any ideas about mentioning his unease, McCoy got back to the case.

"This idea of punishment keeps coming up and it's clear this guy feels like he has a right to act as judge and jury, but what could he possibly be punishing these people for? Only a handful of them have had any criminal record.."

Hannibal had wondered about that for a while himself, but was fairly certain he'd come to the correct conclusion. "This killer cannot abide the mistreatment of omegas. The first victim you consulted me about had just abandoned his pregnant mate for another woman, yes? As a beta he'd not have realized just how shattering that was for an omega, but he likely didn't care. The few you mentioned with a criminal record were known to be violent and at least two of them had been charged with domestic abuse. The Flag Killer almost certainly abhors any mistreatment of omegas, even something most would overlook will stick in his mind."

Hannibal knew a killer's trigger didn't have to make sense to others, anything could set them off, but he fully understood the Flag Killer's. He found mistreatment of omegas to be one of the rudest crimes one could commit.

"Thank you, Doctor Lecter. I can work with that. I'm sorry to have interrupted your morning, I'll not keep you any longer."

Will was delighted to get out of there and return to his young pups, something Hannibal wouldn't deny him. So, after polite goodbyes, the mates departed knowing they'd not heard the last about the Flag Killer or Special Agent McCoy. As they drove away McCoy again got the sense something was off about Will Graham and maybe Hannibal as well.

~X~

After a couple of months when Sebastian had started sleeping through the night, Hannibal had finally thrown another of his famous dinner parties much to Missus Komeda's delight. Neither Will nor Abigail were great fans of them, but at least the pair had learned how to manage conversation without Hannibal needing to rescue them.

While Hannibal had been known to rotate people through his dinner parties, a totally new face was rare, but Hannibal had thought it only polite to invite Anders Corvene simply to see what this man truly was. Of course Missus Komeda had been delighted her nephew had been welcomed into Hannibal's extravagant world alongside her.

Forks occasionally scrapped against plates and the smell of smoke from candles faintly filled the air as they all ate. Alana had once again graced them with her presence but the majority of Hannibal's focus was on Anders. An alpha of only twenty-one, but truly something intriguing. Will had noticed his mate's curiosity as well, likely because he was just as suspicious, but didn't comment on it.

"I must say, Hannibal, I was rather expecting a show." Missus Komeda said after a sip of wine. "You always give us a show. The food is as wonderfully presented as always, but you've not given us that usual Lecter flare."

Hannibal smirked. "I felt it would be nice to slow down and have a quiet meal for a change. No extravagance, just indulgent, elegant cuisine."

Anders cocked an eyebrow. "So you're putting on a show of not putting on a show. Subtle to the end, Doctor Lecter."

"Exactly, Mister Corvene."

Mister Komeda chose one of those rare occasions to pipe up then. "We'd wondered if maybe your newborn had exhausted you. I remember when Anders was new to the world, my sister-in-law despaired with him."

"No need to make it sound as though I bounced off the walls, Uncle." Gray eyes met Abigail's blue ones. "You must think me a terror."

That had her chuckle. "Oh, there's nothing terrifying about you, Mister Corvene."

Abigail had met true monsters and, while there was something dark under the surface, Anders most certainly wasn't terrifying. It had become clear he was rather taken with Abigail, the way he kept looking at her had left no doubt in their minds. Being sixteen, she was of legal mating age though it was unusual for an omega to mate so young these days, and Hannibal nor Will had any intention of letting any alpha swan off with their eldest daughter. Although, what had surprised them was Abigail hadn't rebuffed him, she actually seemed somewhat interested in Anders and thus why Hannibal was determined to learn all he could about this young alpha. Unlike his other guests, Anders didn't feel the need to talk about himself or boast, that was something Hannibal respected about the younger alpha, but Missus Komeda had provided the last piece to the puzzle as it were.

"What is you're intend to become after medical school, Anders?" Asked his aunt. "I know you've told me before but I always forget. Maybe Hannibal has some words of wisdom for you after all his years as a doctor."

"A Cardiothoracic surgeon, Aunt -"

Hannibal, Will and Abigail all shared a look. A young alpha of great intelligence as well as a medical student. Suddenly the darkness they'd all felt lurking around Anders Corvene made perfect sense. Anders Corvene was the Flag Killer.

XXXX

So, I went ahead and made a portrait of Anders simply because I had a spare five minutes.

Chapter Text

Rain had been falling for most of the day and had left the evening cold. It splattered against windows with a violence thud with no signs of easing off any time soon. None of the Lecters cared though, they had more important things to focus on than rain. The twins had been put to bed, Sebastian had slipped off into the land of slumber as well and Abigail had set the table for their guest. The clock had just chimed eight when the doorbell sounded, but Hannibal hadn't left his study. Instead he remained staring out the window and waited for Abigail to show Anders into the study as she'd been told.

"Good evening, Doctor Lecter." The younger alpha greeted when he entered and Hannibal turned to face his guest. "Thank you for the dinner invitation, it was very kind of you."

Hannibal smiled and moved to the crystal decanter on the other side of the room. "You are most welcome, Mister Corvene. Might I tempt you to a nice single malt? Seventy-five years old. While I prefer wine, my mate has a preference for whiskey and I suspect you do as well."

"You'd be right, I am somewhat partial. And please, call me Anders."

"Very well, Anders it is." said Hannibal as he poured them both a glass then handed one over before he offered Anders a seat. It wasn't lost on either of them that Hannibal hadn't offered the blond use of his own given name. "I hope you enjoy your drink."

Anders took a sip and tried not to think about just how much Hannibal had paid for that bottle. Will Graham truly was a very adored omega.

"That is magnificent. I find myself envious of your mate if he gets to drink this regularly." Silence lingered a moment as Hannibal observed the younger alpha. "I'm grateful for the chance to see Abigail again, she's a wonderful girl, Doctor Lecter."

"Indeed she is. Not to sound boastful, but my daughter is really rather exceptional. Abigail has a bright future ahead of her, I am sure of that." Hannibal took a sip of his own drink and finally got to the point. "Did you know I've been consulting on the Flag Killer case?" Anders stilled at the abrupt change in subject. "It became rather quickly apparent to me that the Flag Killer thinks nothing of his victims, that they have to be punished for their crimes in the most excruciating way. Of course, deciphering a killer's motive is never quite the same as hearing it from their own mouth." He took another drink of rich amber liquid before fixing Anders with a stern expression. "So, Anders, are you going to admit who and what you are, or shall we continue pretending I don't know you're the Flag Killer?"

Silence lingered as Anders' mind scrambled to form a plan. He couldn't just deny it, Hannibal wouldn't be fooled, but admitting it would likely have him carted away by police. He could attack the older alpha, kill him quickly to keep his secret, but that would have shattered Abigail and Anders wasn't actually sure he could overpower Hannibal. He'd been invited to dinner though, surely the FBI could have just shown up on his doorstep if Hannibal had told them of his suspicions, so maybe the older alpha was curious more than anything else. Psychiatrists liked to talk and listen, so perhaps just admitting to it was oddly the wisest choice available to him.

"Very well, Doctor Lecter, you have me." Anders downed what was left of his drink and set the glass aside. "I am who Freddie Lounds has dubbed the Flag Killer."

Hannibal nodded clearly happy with the blond's choice. "There is no need for you to look so stricken, Anders. Truthfully, I was content to leave you to your own devices as long as you stayed out of my way and did not affect my family. You kill those who harm omegas, I can respect that. However, you have begun affecting my family, you're interest in Abigail has not gone unnoticed."

"I would never hurt her." Anders was quick to say, voice laced with as much assurance as was physically possible.

"I am fully aware of that. It would go against your fundamental core belief. What you may not have noticed is that Abigail is actually rather taken with you also. She won't speak the words aloud, not yet anyway, but I know my daughter and can practically smell it on her."

"Good. That's good. I know it's selfish, but she acts so much like a beta that some have shown interest in her and I hate that. Betas can't mate, they can't share a real bond, and Abigail deserves that, even if it isn't with me."

"I have little preference for dynamic or gender." Hannibal confessed with ease. "Alpha, beta, omega, I do not care. However, I agree with you that all omegas deserve a proper bond just as we alphas do. Betas cannot and therefore are totally unaware of a whole part of our existences."

"Most alphas wouldn't admit they've slept with another alpha." Anders mused mostly to himself.

While not illegal, there was a sense of taboo regarding alpha-alpha or omega-omega couples that probably wouldn't ever go away; their rarity helped to perpetuate it.

"I am not most alphas." Oh, Hannibal most certainly wasn't. "So, shall we dine?"

Hannibal stood and cleared away the glasses all while Anders watched in utter amazement. His brow furrowed deeply but words didn't manage to leave his lips until Hannibal had reached the study door.

"You still intend for us to all have dinner together? I just admitted to being a serial killer, shouldn't you be calling the police?"

Hannibal raised an eyebrow. "I could if you like, but I have a rather wonderful meal prepared and would hate for it to go to waste. Come."

So, with little other choice, Anders followed Hannibal into the dining room where the found Abigail and Will had already gathered. The two said quick greetings as they stood by the fire tickling Winston; normally Hannibal would have objected to having the dog in the dining room while they ate, but it was an unusual day. Soon they were all seated with Hannibal at the head of the table with his mate and daughter to his right and Anders to his left. From the outside nothing was amiss, but Anders felt the tension.

"Did you admit you're a serial killer or try to lie?" Abigail asked after a few moments and Anders' eyes went wide, he'd not expected Hannibal to share what he'd learned with his family.

"We'd not be having dinner if he'd lied." Will informed simply. "Lying would have been rude and you know Hannibal despises rudeness."

"Anders has been gentlemanly enough to be quite forthcoming about it. He went so far as to insist to me he'd never harm Abigail."

The girl snorted drawing everybody's attention to her, not something for the dinner table but Hannibal would let it slide just this once.

"You'd have killed him by now if you thought he'd try, Papa. Hell, his heart would already be in the oven."

Anders paled not because of the low-key death threat but because of the mention of organs. He'd wondered why Hannibal had no fear of letting his family dine with a known serial killer and the answer had finally dawned on him – because they did it daily.

"Oh Christ, you're the Chesapeake Ripper."

Maroon eyes turned to the blond. "I am surprised it took you so long to work out, Anders. I hope this won't spoil your appetite."

"So the rumor is true," Anders looked down to his plate. "You eat the organs you take. The Chesapeake Ripper is a cannibal."

Will smirked. "Oh it's not just Hannibal. We're something of a … murder family. Everyone at this table has blood on their hands, you and Hannibal are just the most artistic about it."

"You wish for Abigail to be your intended mate, yes?" The older alpha's voice remained level and baritone. "This means you wish to be part of our family and there should be no dark secrets among family." He turned to Abigail. "Is that something you'd like, Abigail? To be his intended?"

She swallowed suddenly a little uncomfortable about discussing the subject with her fathers, but eventually nodded. "I'd like to get to know Anders better at the very least."

At the House she'd never wanted a mate and frankly still wasn't sure she did, but Anders could understand her in the way Hannibal understood Will, and that was something she wanted for herself.

"If it is what you want, it shall be done." Hannibal nodded in agreement then turned back to Anders who hadn't eaten another mouthful since his realization. "My daughter believes you worthy of being part of this family, part of this pack. The remaining questions are: Do you feel you are worthy of it? And, are you willing to do what you must for her?"

"You mean acknowledge you as pack alpha." Anders set his cutlery down as candles flickered on the table. Hannibal hadn't needed to confirm that for him, he knew it was true. Anders wasn't some weak alpha others could walk over, he'd not cower in a corner. That said, Hannibal was a thoroughbred and had apparently been killing for decades as was he someone Anders greatly admired. The Ripper always left such wonderful art behind while so many others just left carnage. "And if I refuse?"

A growl left Hannibal's throat then, a deep rumble none of them had ever heard from him before. He wasn't the sort of alpha who needed to growl, not when his sheer dominant presence was always enough to have people knowing their place; that and he'd always thought it rude. Yet that night wasn't a normal one and Anders had needed to fully understand what would happen. Anders knew too much about Hannibal and his family now, so the man wouldn't hesitate to kill him if needed. Most would probably assume the younger alpha would beat a middle-aged one, that youth assured victory, but Anders wasn't sure Hannibal would ever leave his prime. He might have had many years on Anders, but he was exceptionally strong and formidable underneath that suit of his. Next to Hannibal's god-like talents and capabilities Anders was but a child. The older man was right, he was the irrefutable pack alpha, when he stopped to think about it, Anders didn't actually see a reason to try overthrowing him. The Chesapeake Ripper was an artist he'd long since admired and had always wanted to learn from; having him as his pack alpha would be as having him as a mentor. So, after several moments of the Lecters staring at him, Anders tilted his head up and to the side exposing his neck to the older man. In an instant Hannibal had grabbed him by the throat and, though the grasp was harsh, he didn't squeeze, instead he brushed his thumb lightly over Anders' scent gland then returned to his meal. With that, he'd bowed to Hannibal's dominance and accepted his position as a lesser alpha to him.

"Do not let your food go cold, Anders." Was all his new pack alpha said while the omegas seemed pleased with the turn of events.

Anders' gray eyes tilted down to his food; being a part of this pack meant eating people.

"Would you call Hannibal a demon for eating the rude?" Will asked when Anders hadn't begun eating again. "We're all just meat in the end, and life is just natures way of keeping meat fresh."

"Do you know what demons call humans with no self-restraint? No decorum or basic etiquette, just their own arrogance, Anders?" Hannibal didn't wait for an answer. "Food."

Anders thought of his own kills for a moment. Those people were less than pigs to him, why shouldn't their bodies go to nourish others? They'd served no good in life so why not make use of their corpses. Cannibalism wasn't something he'd ever considered before, but it didn't repulse him. He'd not even known Hannibal to be the Chesapeake Ripper for a full hour, yet the man had already opened his eyes to so much. With no further hesitation, Anders took up his fork and continued to eat. Bowing to Hannibal as his pack alpha was no hardship when he could learn so much from a legend among murderers.

Chapter Text

About three months had passed since Anders and Hannibal had admitted who they really were to one another, and things had been going surprisingly well. In public Hannibal was his medical mentor and future father-in-law, in private they'd complemented one another's work while Hannibal had taught him better flaying techniques – a serial killer wasn't born fully formed after all. It was Anders' relationship with Abigail he most cherished though. From the moment he'd first laid eyes on her he'd known she was special, she was his omega and he her alpha. Just as Abigail had wanted, they'd spent time together getting to know who the other was at their core.

"Did you enjoy the performance?" He asked with genuine curiosity as he drove them away from the theatre. "I'm afraid it didn't occur to me that the opera is more Doctor Lecter's idea of entertainment than that of his family."

That assessment wasn't exactly wrong, she'd wanted to see King Lear but held no great love for the theatre.

"I actually enjoyed it. Madam Butterfly was really rather heartbreaking and yet so hopeful. She reminds me of Dad in a way. He had such hope even when things looked hopeless, fortunately it paid off for him because he found Papa."

Anders was tempted to ask exactly what that meant, he knew something terrible had happened in her and Will's past but felt it the wrong time to ask. Instead of tipping into the rudeness he knew the Lecters couldn't abide, Anders moved the subject along.

"In a few months there is a performance of Macbeth, I wonder if you'd like to accompany me?

As Anders drove the pair discussed Shakespeare at length and all she'd learned from her classes. While no great expert, Abigail had excelled at her schooling and would read just about anything simply because she'd been denied for so very long. While Will had discovered a love of fishing and dogs, Abigail hadn't quite settled on any one thing yet, so she was more than happy to let Anders show her what the world had to offer.

"Hannibal has raised a very intelligent daughter."

"He's not really my father." She didn't know why she'd mentioned that. Abigail had no intention of telling him about the house, yet at least, and blood didn't make family.

"I know," Anders confessed. "You don't smell like him. Well, you do, but not in the way an alpha's pup normally does and you're too old to be Will's."

Her scent would always give her away. Omegas and alphas always possessed a whiff of their parents in their scents no matter their age, but Abigail's wouldn't ever match up to those of her fathers'. Claude, Veronique and Sebastian wouldn't ever be doubted, but Abigail needed a document to prove she was their daughter.

"I'd never stopped to think that Will and I aren't actually all that different in age."

"None of that matters, Abigail. He and Hannibal are your fathers now and they obviously love you tremendously." Anders sighed then as he turned a corner. "A lot of people don't get that."

Oh, Abigail was all too aware of that fact. "You sound as though you speak from experience, Anders."

Another sigh. "I do. I'm an only child and my parents died when I was six in a car crash. A man pulled out in front of us from nowhere. I can still remember him insisting it was my mother's fault, that omegas shouldn't have been allowed to drive, they couldn't be trusted nor did they have the competency. He blamed my mother for what he'd done, he blamed the woman he killed simply because she was an omega."

Suddenly Anders' intense urge to punish those who mistreated omegas all made sense. In some way, each time he punished one of his victims, he avenged the deaths of his parents."

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you, but it was a long time ago. The only other family I had was my aunt and she didn't really know what to do with me, so I found myself at boarding school until Johns Hopkins. Loves kids, does my aunt, but she loves being able to pass them back to their parents most of all."

Yes, that was something Abigail had noticed. Missus Komeda always asked about the twins and Sebastian but hadn't struck her or anyone else as mother material.

Silence settled then for several minutes, a calm quietude rather than something of tension. It wasn't until stopping at a light that Anders finally broke the silence between them.

"Abigail, might I ask you something a little personal?" She nodded that he could and let out an affirming hum. "Are you willing to accept me as your mate even though I'm a serial killer because it is what you honestly want, or because Doctor Lecter thought us a good match?"

"… Both, I suppose. I've experienced the acts of monsters and so-called good people and I don't wish to again. In my life serial killers are the only ones I've found trustworthy. The Chesapeake Ripper is my father, a man who took me in when he didn't have to and killed those who hurt me and Will. The Tooth Fairy is insane but he has gone out of his way to help people I care about. Now there's you. You don't care that I'm not like normal omegas, just willing to accept me for who I am."

"I love you because you're not like other omegas." He loved her? He had actually just said that? "Also, did you just say Tooth Fairy? Don't tell me he's some kind of cousin in this murder family of yours."

That had Abigail smile. "Not a cousin, no. I'm not sure what D is exactly, but he is exceptionally fond of my Papa and will do just about anything he asks."

Dolarhyde had mostly spent his time at the House since they'd burnt down the Madison-May and Marcus had escaped them. He'd gone right back to guarding omegas but this time without the sexual slavery aspect and threats. Having a routine, medication and Reba in his life had done wonders for his mental state.

"The Tooth Fairy is part of your father's pack?"

"That's never been needed. Papa can pull on his leash whenever he pleases. Papa won't say it out loud, but D is more of a pet than part of the pack."

Anders didn't quite believe what he'd just heard. The Chesapeake Ripper had full control over the Tooth Fairy, that sounded ridiculous but Hannibal was a master manipulator and shouldn't have been underestimated. The three most prolific serial killers in modern memory and they were basically all part of the same family; murder family indeed.

"You call him D?"

"His real name is kind of a mouthful." Abigail shrugged. "Let's talk about something else."

Just as Hannibal couldn't deny Will, Anders couldn't bring himself to deny Abigail.

~X~

Will had been in the living room reading for maybe an hour. The twins and Sebastian were asleep, Hannibal had some errands to run before coming home and Abigail was with Anders, so Will had the whole house to himself. Outside the night sky had taken on an inky appearance with a blanket of clouds blocking the stars, but Will didn't care, he had a warm fire and comfy chair to indulge in. What did truly bother him was Freddie Lounds and her terrible writing. Hannibal was an avid reader of her work for his own unique reasons, but Will detested her. The woman printed nothing but assumptions and lies – mostly about his beloved Hannibal – yet never seemed to face any real consequences for it. The latest article went on about the Flag Killer striking again and leaving this victim inside his own hardware store, while that portion was true, the part about him working with the Chesapeake Ripper because the liver was apparently missing couldn't have been further from the truth.

It was that moment Hannibal entered the room having finished his errands, he flashed his sweet omega a smile then bent to kiss him.

"Everything all right, brangusis? You seem disgruntled."

"I'm fine, Hannibal. Freddie Lounds is printing garbage again, that's all." He tossed his tablet aside and stood to embrace his mate properly. "Claude kept asking for you, wanted you to read his and Roni's bedtime story. I told him you'd read the story tomorrow."

"Regrettably it is her own website, she can print what she wants. She will never know the truth, Will. I won't let anything happen to us or Anders because it would destroy Abigail." The two men separated then and Hannibal seated himself only to pull Will down into his lap. "Speaking of Abigail, how was she before she left with Anders?"

"Quietly excited seems like a good description. She really likes him, Hannibal, just doesn't let the world know it. I'm glad for her, with her being so young when she entered the House, I thought – I thought -"

"That she'd never know love or a bond." Hannibal finished for him only for Will to nod. "Abigail is brave and will never stop surprising us.

They heard the front door open then and Abigail invite Anders inside, so the mates went to greet them only for Hannibal to be presented with a small cooler. He popped it open revealing a fresh human liver.

"I wanted to say thank you for all the advice you've been giving me as of late. My professors are impressed with my improvements." Frankly, Anders' professors were astounded by him, one day he'd be a surgeon to rival even Hannibal. "I hope this will suffice."

"Liver, how thoughtful, Anders. Thank you. I have the perfect Chianti to pair with this."

Anders smiled brightly, pleased his gift had been accepted. He'd been dubious to begin with, but had come to enjoy the thought of being part of Abigail's murder family.

~X~

The evening air had a soft breeze to it that carried a refreshing coldness through the air, which all adored because that week had been unusually hot for the time of the year. Marcus glanced around the airport as parents barked orders at their kids and everybody else silently wished they'd just shut up. He'd spent quite some time recovering in Albuquerque before he'd begun rebuilding his money and network of people; he'd made damn sure to vet them first as well. Dolarhyde had seemed so loyal to him that the betrayal had not only caught him off guard but left Marcus with a permanent limp. He lit a cigarette as soon as he got outside and breathed in that wonderful smoke, wouldn't be as good as the one he had after tracking down the fuckers who'd stolen his property, killed his men and burnt the Madison-May down though. Francis Dolarhyde was the only name he knew for sure unfortunately and he'd gone to ground, had moved out of his place and just sort of vanished. That beta had worked for Jack before his empire had fallen and do-gooders had bought the place. It was the alpha in the fancy suit Marcus wanted dead the most though, Dolarhyde might have shot him, but it was the older alpha who'd orchestrated, he'd been the one giving the orders. Cutting off the head seemed like the wisest course of action if he wanted to reclaim his hold over Maryland's omega trafficking.

Cordell wasn't too far behind him, would be on the next plane, and then they'd begin. Stealing Cordell out from underneath Mason and Jack when he had was probably the most fortuitous thing he'd done in Maryland over the last five years. Having someone with decent medical skill and little to no moral compass was harder to come across than one would expect. Marcus glanced down to his cane; his running days were over, but everyone knew the tale of The Tortoise and the Hare.

Chapter Text

Night had again fallen by the time Marcus Delamare arrived outside the abandoned warehouse at the docks he'd be using to sell off his collected omegas. The warehouse backed onto the waterfront looking out into the far off distance – a little run down that looked rat infested, but it was secluded and fairly large so suited his needs perfectly. Beer, that was the first thing he smelt followed by mould. Two floors of water damage and peeling green paint with concrete pillars running down the middle to hold the roof up. None of it mattered, it didn't need to be the Ritz. Those pillars had proven themselves useful because they'd made a rather sturdy place to chain the omegas up.

The assholes Marcus paid had gotten a generator up and running while Cordell had done the last of his medical exams on the omegas. Gone were the grand auctions he'd held, for now anyway, instead he'd just sell to lowlifes to make some quick money and ensure people knew he was back in business and not to be messed with. He needed to rebuild trust with the wealthy alphas he'd sold to before, the ones still breathing of course, but afterwards Marcus would return to his comfortable lifestyle of power.

Dolarhyde's replacement had come in the form of an African-American man built like a brick wall named Kett. If one had thought Dolarhyde didn't speak much, they'd certainly not met Kett; compared to Kett, Dolarhyde was damn right chatty. Kett really wasn't the sort of man one wanted to meet in a dark alley, sadism oozed out of every pour and that constant grin of his would put the fear of God into just about everybody. While Kett might not have been quite as efficient as Dolarhyde had been, the man enjoyed money and hurting people too much to turn on him.

Yes, everything was going rather swimmingly for Marcus since his return to Maryland. As soon as he located Dolarhyde and his murderous collaborators, everything would be perfect.

~X~

Going for brunch had become a semi-frequent occurrence for Hannibal and Will. A little time away from the children was good for Will and Hannibal enjoyed having his mate to himself. Of course the food was never as flavorful as when Hannibal cooked, going out to eat did feel a little more like an unofficial date and that was something they'd never really bothered with before. That day, after finishing their meals, rather than returning to the car they'd gone for a walk among the shops. No real plan, just some window shopping and together time.

"This is nice." Said Will as they strolled hand in hand. "I was starting to think I was losing you to Alana with all the meetings you two have been having lately."

Hannibal breathed out a laugh. "As if that is even a possibility. I apologize for the meetings, there have been some issues regarding getting the House finally up to code and we have been inspected due to me personally funding most of the project. Alana is really rather talented at putting people at ease but, of course, the House isn't exactly the halfway house we have been portraying it as."

"I know," Will nodded. "Being as selective as we are about who is there, why and for how long will seem slightly out of the ordinary. I'm assuming that, since the twins and Sebastian are there right now and D hasn't gone on a rampage, all of it turn out okay?"

"Yes, mylimasis, nothing to worry about at all. There was mention of someone wanting to do an article on the House at some point, however -"

Hannibal cut himself off when he realized he'd totally lost Will's attention to the husky across the street being fed half of its owner's sandwich. Had it come from anyone else, Hannibal would have labelled the act rude, but from Will it was more akin to a personality trait than active rudeness.

"Hannibal? I want another dog."

Frankly, the alpha was surprised it had taken Will so long to start demanding more animals.

"We already have Winston, he is enough. There are also the twins and Sebastian to think about."

Blue eyes turned to Hannibal's maroon ones. "They love animals just as much as I do. Besides, you built that huge heated space for Winston, that's perfectly big enough for at least five more dogs." Hannibal's face said it all they would never have five more dogs, he'd not wanted Winston to begin with. "Just one? Please, alpha?"

"Will, kindly do not 'please, alpha' me on this topic. More dogs would require more time and care which should be devoted to our pups."

The omega's mouth opened to point out dogs were pups but it closed again when Hannibal flashed him that look that said to drop the subject. He'd drop it for the time being, but Will had wanted another dog for a while now and Hannibal couldn't deny him forever. Besides, Hannibal had just bought the new Land Rover for going up to the House and moving the children around to spare his beloved Bentley. Honestly, Will thought he loved that car more than him some days; of course Hannibal wouldn't ever admit to that.

They continued their walk then, people went this way and that doing whatever was usual for these people's lives while Will thought of dogs and Hannibal of how much his adored omega had changed his life. From enigmatic lone wolf to happily mated father of four, a family man complete with the dog he'd never wanted; and Hannibal wouldn't have changed it for the world.

"You still giving that talk on Thursday night?" Asked Will after a few moments.

Hannibal nodded. "I am, yes. Anders tells me there has been rather a lot of interest in it over at Johns Hopkins. According to him, management was concerned they'd need to move it to a larger room."

Roughly two weeks earlier Johns Hopkins had contacted Hannibal regarding giving a talk to students on psychiatry and, to a lesser extent, how it lured him away from surgery. Of course Hannibal had been flattered and quickly agreed to the speech which had garnered rather a lot of interest thanks to Hannibal's outstanding reputation and Anders ensuring everyone knew about it. While he'd been accepted into medical school two years younger than most, Anders hadn't quite formed the friendships others had. Much like Hannibal, Anders could be suave and charming when he wished to be but much preferred his own company. Also just like Hannibal, Anders had quickly gone about establishing his own infallible reputation and, to be perfectly honest, having Doctor Hannibal Lecter as his future father-in-law had done wonders for it. Others saw kindness and morality in those piercing gray eyes of his, but he only valued those who could see the darkness lurking behind them.

"Will Abigail be going with you? You know, so she can spend time with Anders."

"She will," confirmed the alpha. "Though she insists it is because she's genuinely curious about the talk. You are very welcome to come as well, Will. I would like to have you there."

Will shuffled a little closer to Hannibal then, suddenly timid and unsure. "I don't know. There'll be a lot of people and you know I don't like that."

"I am sure you will be fine, Will. If Abigail and Anders are there you won't be alone in a crowd." Hannibal pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "I shall not force your attendance though. If you'd rather stay home with the pups, I shall not object."

Will resolved himself and agreed to go. Hannibal would literally be doing all the talking and it wasn't every day one got to witness first hand that their mate was a living legend in psychiatry.

Come Thursday, they'd all gathered to see Hannibal give his talk and, honestly, Will could have listened to that accented baritone read a take out menu. Glancing around at the medical students in attendance he could tell Hannibal's words had them all captivated, but that was to be expected when he could captivate an audience without any real effort. A natural orator was Hannibal, something he was fully aware of and used to his advantage whenever needed.

Will hadn't been surprised when, at the end of that talk, people had begun asking questions about his consulting work on the Flag Killer case; Freddie Lounds did like to print any nugget of information she got her filthy hands on. The subtle smirk Anders and Hannibal had shared did amuse him though.

Abigail sniffled beside him then causing Will's amusement to shift to slight concern. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah. Think I'm getting a cold is all. You think Papa will make that chicken soup thing he does for dinner? The one with the berries and star anise."

"You know Hannibal doesn't like it when we just call it chicken soup, but if you cough in front of him, he'll probably make it." Will teased which had the younger omega chuckle.

Sure enough, they all enjoyed Hannibal's chicken soup later that evening while Anders complemented the talk and pretended not to fuss over Abigail.

~X~

Will stared intently at the news report as he rocked Sebastian in his arms. The poor boy's colic had finally eased much to everyone's delight, normal sleeping had resumed. His youngest pup might have been at ease again, but the news stirred a worry up inside Will he'd not had in a long time. In the last two weeks sixteen omegas had gone missing from all over Maryland with absolutely no leads. The latest one was a Katrina Coleman who'd vanished from a parking lot at a strip mall, the part worse than the cameras having apparently not seen anything, was her one-year-old pup had just been abandoned in the backseat until passers-by had heard crying. Will squeezed Sebastian a little tighter. The news showed a statement the police had released regarding it where they'd stated that, although an alarming spike in missing persons, and the similarities of the disappearances, Maryland was a big place and there wasn't any evidence to actually connect them all. Police clearly had a point, but Will had seen something the cops hadn't; each new disappearance crept ever closer to Baltimore. Add that to the fact none of these omegas had been ransomed back or found dead in a ditch, and Will couldn't shake the feeling men like Mason Verger had gone back to work.

He shut the television off then, didn't need to hear anymore, not when Mason was long dead. Blue eyes tilted down to Claude and Veronique who played quietly on the floor; she colored while Claude moved pieces around a chessboard. That had been Hannibal's latest thing to teach the twins, despite them being only four years old, he'd felt confident that proper instruction and encouragement could turn them into versatile chess players. While he still didn't fully understand the rules and had no strategy whatsoever, Claude did enjoy moving the pieces and the smile Hannibal gave him when he got it right. Will smiled softly, they might all have had his hair, but everything else was all Hannibal. Claude had wanted Abigail to play with him but had indeed come down with a cold and had been passed out in her bed for most of the day, so Winson had become a poor substitute.

Part of Will knew he was ignoring the very real possibility that Marcus Delamare had returned to the state, but he refused to acknowledge that; Hannibal always protected them. Besides, it wasn't just Hannibal acting as a lone wolf any longer, they were essentially an army. Three notorious alpha serial killers, a team of betas and omegas who ran the House providing them a valid reason for taking such an interest in any illegal matters involving omegas, and then there was Will and Abigail who weren't the timid creatures people assumed omegas to be. No, he refused to be frightened. If Marcus had returned to Maryland where Hannibal and Dolarhyde could get their hands on him, then the man was clearly a moron begging for death.

"Daddy, look!" Veronique lifted her book to show him the pony she'd colored purple and Will knelt down at her side.

No, Will wouldn't be afraid again. He refused. Many men had tried to kill or use him and those many men were dead. If Marcus returned, he'd suffer the same fate.

As if sensing his mate's need for comfort, Hannibal returned home then. Will listened quietly to him hang his coat up in the closet as Winston rushed off to greet him only to return with his tale wagging, a clear sign of excitement. That had Will raise an eyebrow as he continued to rock Sebastian, but Will didn't leave the living room. To be perfectly honest it the pizza Hannibal had brought Will during his pregnancy cravings had been the last time Winston had been so excited.

Hannibal entered the living room then with a fairly large tweed back in hand that Winston quickly rushed back to sniff. Wordlessly, he rounded Winston and turned the bag around revealing it to actually be a dog carrier; a tiny face peeked out.

"Fate appears to like you, Will."

"You bought us a new dog!" Will and the twins instantly locked on to the small puppy inside the carrier – for a man who didn't actually like dogs, he sure didn't mind spending three hundred dollars on a bespoke carrier. Hannibal happily took a sleeping Sebastian so Will could help the puppy out of the carrier and instructed the twins not to crowd the animal. "He's beautiful, Hannibal."

"Hmm. A colleague of mine asked me to accompany her to visit a patient she's been having issues with. When we arrived he'd attacked his roommates with a knife and was about to do the same to his dog. I thought you would prefer I brought him to you rather than him going to a shelter."

Will wouldn't ever turn down a dog, especially one in need. No, Hannibal had done exactly what Will would want and, yet again, proven he couldn't deny his mate anything for very long. With gentle touches, the twins stroked their new family member. Winston might have mostly been golden retriever but in truth was a mutt through and through, their new friend though, he was an English Foxhound – no, a Harrier, he was too small to be a Foxhound.

Eventually Hannibal wandered off to check on Abigail and set Sebastian down in his crib so he could make dinner, but Will nor the twins even noticed, they were too focused on the new arrival while Winston sniffed and wagged that tail.

"Daddy, what's her name?"

"He's a him, Roni, and I don't know. Shall we give him one?" Veronique nodded happily as Winston continued to make a fuss of his new friend. "How about Beau? I think that suits him, don't you?"

Hannibal truly wasn't a dog person in the slightest. While he'd not hurt animals, he didn't particularly like any of them, so the fact he treated Winston with such care had always meant the world to Will. He made meals from scratch for him, bathed and walked him when Will had been late in his pregnancies, and gone out of his way to see Winston had a proper space out in the yard. Now he'd accepted another dog into his pristine home when it would have been far simpler to just let police drop Beau off at a shelter, all because that was what would make Will happy. Hannibal truly was a perfect mate.

Chapter Text

The alpha startled awake, maroon eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness as he sat up and, for the briefest of moments, Hannibal couldn't understand what had woken him. The children weren't crying, no dogs barked and Will was fast asleep beside him. Touch, sight nor hearing had woken him and it certainly wasn't taste, which meant only his sense of smell remained as the cause. Hannibal took a deep breath filling his lungs; Will, fabric softener … heat. Adrenaline rushed into his blood at that scent tried to intoxicate him, but it hadn't come from his darling Will. Abigail, it was coming from Abigail.

Quietly he slipped out of bed doing his best to take shallow breaths as he pulled on a read sweater then approached her room. This faint smell was what had roused him to consciousness and chastised himself for the way his body wished to respond; Hannibal was a thoroughbred alpha, he was better than succumbing to base desires. The scent she gave off hadn't turned sickly sweet just yet so there was a reasonable amount of time before she overpowered the house and turned delirious.

Inside her bedroom lay Abigail squirming around in her bed tying herself up with sheets and already drenched in sweat – fortunately her clothing remained intact. Hannibal had to admit his confusion, she'd opted to stay on suppressants and Hannibal had seen to all her medical care, so she never should have gone into heat.

"Abigail?" He slowly stepped towards her and came to a halt on the left-hand side of her bed.

"Please make it stop! Please."

"How did this happen, Abigail? You have your suppressants."

"Forgot because of my cold."

Oh, so sheer dumb luck and absent-mindedness had caused this. Yes, that seemed reasonable. However, Hannibal nor Will were Abigail's biological parents, so evolution's little trick of a child's pheromones repulsing their parents wouldn't work. This was why so many omegas struggled to be adopted, a single whiff of heat could send the alpha into rut and turn the omega territorial. Of course Hannibal was made of sterner stuff, but he had no wish to cause Will unnecessary trauma. So, decision made because there wasn't anything to stop her heat now, Hannibal lifted Abigail into his arms and carried her down to the garage where he sat her in the passenger seat of the Bentley.

Poor girl would start burning up soon if she wasn't exposed to an alpha, and Hannibal would not let that alpha be him. Hannibal returned to grab some shoes, then pulled out of the garage and drove through the night toward Anders' apartment. He called the blond to explain the situation as he drove and that, while he wasn't exactly happy with this turn of events, Anders was Abigail's intended mate. Naturally, Hannibal would have preferred Abigail to finish school before mating, but she was of legal age and couldn't be forced to suffer through her heat alone when she didn't need to.

He drove carefully knowing any suddenly jolts would only cause Abigail further discomfort and pain. Abigail wouldn't stop moving, kept squirming and floundering about, throwing her pheromones around the vehicle without even realizing it to the point Hannibal had rolled the windows down. Throughout the whole drive, Hannibal continuously muttered sweet comforts to her; his alpha voice being the only way he'd allow himself to relief Abigail's discomfort. It seemed to provide some small modicum of aid, but her scent strengthened by the second and, while not breaking his resolve, Hannibal could smell nothing else.

When he turned a corner Abigail's brown eyes flew open as she wined: "Hannibal!"

That had the alpha raise an eyebrow, he'd never wanted to hear her moan his name like that and Abigail probably wasn't even aware she had. Had it come from will he'd have had a lap full of mate by now, but hearing it from Abigail disgusted him. She leaned toward him and Hannibal pushed her right back into her seat. Logical thought had started to abandon her in favor of letting heat take over.

Anders had already had his apartment door open when Hannibal finally arrived and got Abigail up the stairs. It wasn't as luxurious as Hannibal's house, but it sure as hell wasn't the sort of place most students lived; at least three times the size and Anders had it all to himself. He'd lost both parents in that car crash, but at least he'd been left his trust fund to support himself.

Hannibal easily passed Abigail over to Anders' arms where she instantly snuggled into him. Had the situation been less serious, Anders might have even laughed at Hannibal's casual appearance.

"Forgive the abruptness of all this, Anders, but she said she'd forgotten to take her suppressants due to her cold. This isn't how things were intended to go, but we must all adapt."

"I'll take care of her, I promise. I'll be a good mate."

"See that you are."

Hannibal wasn't the sort to give the old 'hurt my daughter and I'll kill you' line, but the coldness in Hannibal's words had gotten the message across entirely. Fellow serial killer or not, Hannibal would dice him into tiny chunks and use him to feed Winston and Beau for a month if Anders ever harmed Abigail.

Returning home had been a cold journey as Hannibal had rolled all the windows down to aerate his Bentley but he'd not complained, just been thankful for the fresh air and enjoyed the silence. Once he'd gotten home he flicked off the lights before returning to his bed for some much needed sleep. However, the moment he cracked the door open Will grabbed him and shoved him against the wall with a level of force most didn't think an omega capable of. The younger man growled territorially and ribbed his scent gland against his mate in a desperate attempt to banish the smell of Abigail which lingered on Hannibal's skin.

"Shush," the alpha soothed. "Everything is all right. Abigail is now with Anders and I am, as always, entirely yours."

"Mine!" Will hissed before burring his teeth in Hannibal's neck deep enough too draw rich crimson forth and have Hannibal swirl with pleasure. "Mine!"

Territorial wasn't something Hannibal had ever seen from Will before, certainly not to such an extent. That said, he found he rather liked it. Pain stung in his neck as Will scratched and clawed and yanked at his sweater in a desperate attempt to banish the scent of an invading omega. Hannibal just smiled lovingly.

"I love you, Will."

Shirtless, he lifted the beautiful omega into his arms and carried him to bed. They required no foreplay or gentleness, this wasn't lovemaking but rather primal fucking. Will bit and scratched, Hannibal bruised the younger man's wrists as they kissed. Will's scent flooded his senses; their kiss wasn't innocent more like a tease, hot, fiery, passionate and demanding.

"My perfect omega."

"Fuck me!"

A demanding omega, but still a perfect one. Hannibal's lips found Will's neck then to lavish his mating bite with open-mouthed kisses and nibbles until he finally filled the younger man, forced him onto his stomach where Will happily presented for him. Will's warmth invited Hannibal in with moans of delight. So deep, so forceful, yet Will wouldn't have changed it for the world. Hannibal was his alpha. Tomorrow, when logic had merged once more with his brain, Will would think his reaction a little excessive, of course he knew nothing would ever happen between Hannibal and Abigail, but logic wasn't there at that moment.

Hannibal wasn't gentle, not that Will had wanted him to be, he set a fast pace that bordered on the line between pain and pleasure, a pace which had Will moaning into the mattress and clawing the sheets while Hannibal teased his mating bite – oh if only he could be mated again.

"Alpha!" Cried Will when he finally came, when he tumbled off that cliff into the euphoric waters below with his mate right behind him.

The early hours of the morning and his eldest daughter had unexpectedly gone into heat, Will should have been concerned for her but instead drifted off to sleep sated and knowing he was the only omega to linger on his alpha. They belonged to one another and would even after the Reaper finally caught up with the.

~X~

Hannibal awoke the following morning with Will ensnared in his arms; the omega was warm, smelt of sex and Hannibal himself. For several moments he just lay there listening to the quiet which meant the twins and Sebastian were all still fast asleep. Quiet had been in short supply since the twins had been born, of course he loved his pups and mate, but Hannibal still urged for those solitary moments that only really showed themselves in between patients and post kill. Maroon eyes gazed at his mate a moment as he made mental note to draw him sometime soon and delighted in the scent of sex which faintly lingered in the bedroom. Oh, if only he could cancel his patients for the day to simply languish in bed with Will.

"Don't pretend to be asleep, Will, it's rude."

Hannibal had noticed Will's breathing change the second he'd woken, so it wasn't any surprise the act hadn't lasted long. Will gave up the act and sleepily rolled onto his side to flash those beautiful baby blues of his, a tiny smile on his lips as he stretched up to kiss the man he loved; a much gentler brush of lips than the previous night's bruising kisses. A monster by many people's standards, but he would always be Will's monster.

"I'm sorry I basically jumped you last night. I got a bit territorial there." A 'bit' might have been something of an understatement. "How is Abigail?"

"You're actions last night were perfectly understandable, Will. You are an omega that loves your alpha, yet woke to my absence and the heat of another omega. Then, when I returned, I smelt of that omega, of course you felt threatened. I told you last night and I shall tell you again: I am always yours, mylimasis. Also, I greatly enjoyed you being territorial." He paused a moment to kiss Will's forehead. "As for Abigail, she is perfectly fine. Anders will take good care of her as her mate."

"It's official then," Will sighed. "We have a son-in-law and I feel old."

Hannibal breathed out a small laugh. "If you feel old, how do you suppose I feel?"

Quickly Will moved to straddle his alpha, his smooth chest pressed to Hannibal's hairier one, then kissed him deeply; the sort of heated kiss which had Hannibal grip Will's hips to keep him close. Their own enduring ancient language unlike those that rarely survived.

"After the way you fucked me last night, there's no way I'll believe you're old, Hannibal."

"I appreciate the complement." Another kiss found its way to Will's lips. "I have rather a lot of appointments today, but I can take you to the House to spend some time with Beverly and the others if you like. It will give the house a chance to air out."

Will nodded. "The twins have been asking to see their Aunt Beverly."

"Then I'll drive you, I'm sure Winston and Beau will enjoy running around the woods as well. Would you like to shower with me first."

A smirk was the only response he got, but it was enough to have Hannibal lift Will up in those strong arms of his and carried him into the spacious bathroom.

~X~

Hannibal had come to the conclusion he'd been somewhat neglecting the House since Sebastian's birth, but had trusted Barney, Price and Dolarhyde to watch over the place in his absence. So, in the early evening after he'd finished with his patients, Hannibal had driven up to the House in his Land Rover to check in and collect his family.

The House's main door buzzed loudly a moment before Hannibal was granted entrance. Where before had been peeling green paint and a rusted reception desk, now walls were clean and white, plants had been littered around to lighten the place up and a new reception desk of light wood had stood proudly with Omega Lives written in a delicate calligraphy style on the wall behind it. Alana and Hannibal had been extremely careful as to whom they allowed into the building, a halfway house for Omega Lives was essentially just a front for providing survivors of the House a place to live, that said, whitewashing the place had done everybody's mental state good.

"Afternoon, Doctor Lecter." Dolarhyde greeted from his position stood behind the desk.

"Hello, Francis. Thank you for letting me in, but I would have used my keycard."

Dolarhyde shrugged. "Saw you pull up on the cameras."

Since Reba had chosen to stay at the House a while, Dolarhyde had basically moved in and never left. As expected, having a schizophrenic alpha as a permanent fixture hadn't been well received at first, however, as time had gone on and Dolarhyde had shown no signs of going of his meds, he'd steadily been warmed up to. Without the Dragon constantly muttering to him, his relationship with Reba had begun to blossom and the other omegas and begun viewing him as something between a guard dog and Hannibal's second-in-command. Speaking of dogs, Beau suddenly appeared from the stairs and bounded over to Hannibal eager for attention. His tail wagged as he bounced up on his hind legs – training for the pup hadn't fully taken root just yet – then rushed off back upstairs to where Will and his family would surely be.

"Anything happen I should know about, Francis?"

Dolarhyde shook his head slowly. "No. Barney's making dinner if you want to join."

"While he does have a surprisingly excellent palette, that will not be necessary."

"D?" Two sets of eyes flashed over to the library to see Reba stood in the doorway. "Someone moved my book, could you find it for me, please?"

It hadn't seemed right in Dolarhyde's mind for everyone to have access to books, television and other entertainments while Reba had been left carefully learning the layout of her new home, so, in one of the few brief times he'd left the House, Dolarhyde had bought books in Braille, a selection of CDs and an old stereo, as well as little textured stickers that had been dotted around to help Reba find her way until she'd committed it to memory.

With a nod and vague 'uh-huh' sound, Dolarhyde had made for the library. While he'd not said it and surely wouldn't, Hannibal had found himself proud of his fellow serial killer. Dolarhyde had come on in leaps and bounds now he had medication, a routine and genuine affection. The Tooth Fairy wouldn't ever stop killing, but Hannibal wouldn't force a man to give up his art.

Two at a time Hannibal ascended the stairs towards Beverly's room because he knew that was where he'd find them all. Sure enough he found Will chatting with Beverly on the bed rocking Sebastian while the twins played on the floor with the dogs. As soon as Veronique spotted him she rushed to be lifted into Hannibal's arms like the papa's girl she was.

"Love you, Papa."

"And I love you, darling girl." Hannibal kissed her cheek. "Have you been having fun with your Aunt Beverly?"

Veronique nodded. "She read us a story when Daddy went to stop Sebas crying, and we played outside with Winston and Beau."

Yes, Hannibal could tell the dogs had been enjoying the woods by the way they were desperate for a bath. Perhaps a pet washing station was something he needed to at to his home in the near future.

"Can we go home, Papa?" Maroon eyes flashed down to Claude.

Only a boy of four and yet he was both handsome and refined like Hannibal; he'd also taken to Lithuanian far more naturally than Veronique had. Will had taken to teasing his mate that Claude would be wearing three piece suits and cooking simple meals by the time he was six.

With another kiss, Hannibal set Veronique down and nodded to his first born. "I must speak with Alana and then we shall go home. Will you and your sister decided what you'd like for dinner, I'm afraid I've not thought of anything."

The twins were quick to nod while Will just smiled at him. Hannibal almost permanently had a menu floating around inside his mind but the twins had gotten their palette from their papa. Sure, they might not have learned all the correct terminology – what Will called 'fancy words' – for things, but they knew what they liked and weren't ever fussy about food. That and thinking would keep them occupied for a little longer.

"Alana is in her office, Hannibal." He went to his mate with a snoozing Sebastian in his arms for a kiss. "Have you heard from Abigail?"

"I received a message from Anders a few hours ago. Abigail is perfectly fine, they're mated and her heat is under control."

"So it's true." The men's attention turned to Beverly. "Never thought Abigail would get herself a mate – I mean, not that she shouldn't, of course. I just didn't think she wanted one is all. She seemed more focused on her education as far as I could tell."

That was true, education was something Abigail had thrown herself into as a way to ground herself and tiptoe back into the world. However, what Beverly wouldn't ever know was just how well Anders slotted into her family. Just as Hannibal was to Will, Anders was Abigail's perfect mate and something which couldn't be ignored. Had it not been for that cold, Abigail would have been content to wait a few years to mate with Anders, but fate had obviously intervened.

"One should never underestimate, Abigail." Hannibal concluded before brushing a large hand over Sebastian's soft baby hair. "Has he been good for his daddy?"

Will smiled. "He had a crying fit earlier, but he's happy again now. I think it's all the new smells here, they overwhelmed him. Sebastian might even have your gift. I'm sure he just wants to go home and sleep in his crib now."

That could be very easily arranged once he'd spoken to Alana. So, not wanting to keep his family waiting any longer than they needed to, Hannibal excused himself and made for Alana's office. She'd seemed happy to see him though he'd suspected that had something to do with the stack of paperwork she'd been going over for the rest of the charity more than his charming company. Turned out that having Dolarhyde around had been a god send for the House as much of the daily management had been left in his surprisingly capable hands. Price and the other remaining betas had unofficially acknowledged him as in charge when Hannibal himself wasn't around allowing Alana to get on with other things; Hannibal's second-in-command indeed. Inspections and curiosity about the House had finally died down as well which was fortuitous for all involved. Then there were the renovations which had been off and on for the last few years, they'd finally come to an end. The House was again structurally sound, windows had been added and the black mould they'd found in the basement had been cleaned out; hell, they'd even got wifi. Fern's garden had become more of a community project which seemed to keep the omegas mentally active and getting fresh air. Alana had even shown interest in encouraging them getting back into education or finding part-time employment to further promote independence and the rejoining of society; Hannibal took no issue with that, frankly he approved.

Becoming overseer of the House truly wasn't something he'd wanted, but couldn't turn his back on the place now, not when Will had friends he cared about there. So, as much as he'd rather not have continued to bother with the House, he'd ensure the people there got all the help they needed.