Chapter Text
As lame duck President Donald Sutcliffe waddles out of office and with the Lecters set to lose the protection of the White House, shocking secrets ripping this family apart are about to emerge. Rumours suggesting all is not well in the Graham-Lecter marriage and that a split is imminent have recently surfaced. The roguishly handsome Hannibal Lecter has been cutting a dashing figure on the society scene for several weeks. Always surrounded by female admirers, he has been accepting the many awards thrown his way for his architectural accomplishments. Conspicuous by his absence, Will Graham-Lecter rarely appears in public, with a close friend saying the stay at home Omega is sick and tired of his Alpha's roving eye. As Alana Lecter continues to keep a low profile since ditching her cheating fiancé, brother Zeller has spread his wings and flown the family nest. Considered the blandest of the siblings, he has chosen to pursue his career in another state, leaving behind this relationship-doomed family.
FREDDIE LOUNDS TATTLESOCIETY
Robert had faced many protagonists over the years but this young pretender was, by far, the toughest. The brown eyes staring into his were unflinching and the lawyer who specialised in international land registration and was the President's top advisor steeled himself for the final battle. The seconds ticked away and the much older Alpha wasn't sure he could hold on for much longer.
Bedelia called out from the doorway of the sitting room. "You are being silly, Robert."
"Don't interrupt." Robert hissed. "I'll lose my concentration."
It was a gesture of last resort, aware of opponent's weaknesses, Robert twitched his nose quickly before the magazine tapped his head. Averting his gaze, Bedelia stood to his side with the offending article in her hand.
"I've won, I've won." Andrius cried out. "You blinked, grandfather."
Robert blustered at his wife. "Why did you interfere, I nearly beat him this time."
"Playing these silly games with Andrius. You are too old for this type of behaviour. You will damage your eyesight."
As his five year old grandson bounced up to him, grinning from ear-to-ear, Robert huffed under his breath. "Two against one."
Robert loved his grandson, loved all his grandchildren. Outwardly, Robert Lecter gave the impression of an Alpha completely in control whose feathers could never be ruffled. People assumed he had come from a bookish household with both parents being dedicated academics. Although to a certain extent it had been true, his mother had taught elementary school and his father was a lawyer who later became a magistrate then mayor of a small Lithuanian town, Robert and his siblings had grown up a farm and all had been expected to work for their supper.
Robert's own children had far outreached his expectations, excelled in their chosen professions but he had never pushed them and had let them set their own pace. Robert maintained a moral consistency which had been instilled since he was young. He had come from a country where Omegas where not just equal but in some aspects superior to the other dynamics. A country where an Alpha considered themselves honoured if an Omega accepted their proposal of marriage. It was with this frame of mind Robert had viewed Will Graham and had expressed his fears when the eighteen-year old Omega had married into the family. Orphaned at a young age, Will seemed lost and lacking in confidence and Robert worried that by marrying his dominant son, Will would be subjugated. Six and a half years later and having given birth to four wonderful children, the Omega was an important part of the Lecter family. Moreover, Will had shown he was more than a match for Hannibal Lecter.
"You lied to me, Will." The words surfaced when he heard the children squeal a welcome for their father on his return home after a hard day's work .
"You better go, Will." Zeller's face was set and Will knew any dissent would create awkwardness between him and his brother-in-law.
"I'll be back in a moment. This doesn't take long."
Will got up from the chair and casually walked out of Robert's home office to where the children were standing, chattering excitedly to Hannibal as he fussed over them. Keeping his impulses under control, Will cruised towards the huddle and fashioned a smile. His Omegan brain was urging him to gratify the Alpha by showing him submission and docility. His experience yelled that he would lose respect by displaying the needy, pathetically vulnerable element which Hannibal despised in Omegas.
"Good day?" Will asked and graciously received the kiss Hannibal placed on the cheek Will had presented to the Alpha. Will couldn't help a pang of jealousy as he saw the expressions of adoration on his children's faces as they looked up at their father.
"Yes and I have managed to get ahead of schedule. Hopefully, it will leave Saturday free and I will have time to spend with my favourite people." Hannibal said looking directly at the children. "However, I shall be late home tomorrow as I will be dining with Antony."
"I'm just finishing working with Zeller. Fifteen minutes then I'll get them ready for their dinner." Will didn't wait for an answer, the work he had undertaken was another no go area but he could feel the blast of cold anger as he returned to the office. He could still hear the giggles as he closed the door and returned to the desk, glancing fondly at his sleeping baby, Tomas Valdas Lecter.
"I'll take another look but I'm gonna have to sign off, now that his Highness is home."
Zeller ignored the remark, understanding it was Will's way of dealing with an impossible situation and not taking offence at the snarky comment aimed at his brother. Once more Will studied the files laid out before him but his actions were half-hearted, inside he knew his chances for extracting more information were slim to none, now that his frame of mind had been interrupted.
"Let it go, Will." Zeller said eventually. He had seen this before, everything swamped Will within the first few moments, any attempt to return to the same mind set after an unexpected brake was often met with failure. "If there's nothing new then Jack Crawford is going to have to use other resources."
"This Omega killer....... this remote viewing is hit and miss. If we were at the crime scene I'd recover the mindset instantly." Will said admitting defeat. Preparing to leave to attend to his children he added. "Tell Jack I'm sticking to my guns. These killings were staged. The journalist, he's the real target."
A former E R doctor working at the Omegan General Hospital, Zeller Lecter hadn't changed course on a whim. He had researched extensively the downside to forensic pathology before deciding to leave general medicine and commit himself to years of further study. The visit he had made to Quantico all those years ago with Will had made a lasting impression and had enabled him to understand the Omega's fascination with the Bureau. Whether a fascination or a border line addiction Zeller was never quite sure. He was sure the dullness in his own private life was a factor which drew him to the FBI.
Zeller packed up the papers and photos scattered across his father's desk. Try as he may, try as the BAU may, only Will could conjure up a picture from a few jumbled puzzle pieces. A gift, Special Agent Jorgensen had described it, one that most Omegas with duality possessed, the ability to put themselves into the shoes of others. Their gift but ultimately their curse, Jorgensen had added, relating stories of Omegas in law enforcement who had descended into madness.
At their first meeting Zeller had not liked Jorgensen, it was only now when they worked for the same department did he begin to appreciate the Beta. He had the same dedication and determination as Crawford when it came to catching killers and placing them behind bars. Where Jack would bellow and bawl out an agent who fell down on the job, Jorgensen's air of disdain and detachment hid his heavy-duty sarcasm which was both effective and cruel. His vicious sideswipes at anyone who through incompetency muddied his waters were legendary within the Bureau and it ensured everyone who worked with him never cut corners.
Will had ushered the children into the downstairs shower room and supervised as they washed their hands. After inspecting their efforts, he followed them into the dining room where Andrius, independent as ever, climbed onto a chair. The Omega aided his two little girls whilst Tomas still sleeping, was left in his carrier. With the plates set before the children and water in their beakers, Hannibal took his place at the table. He and Will constructed mundane conversations, feigning politeness, in order to keep up appearances.
"It has taken me six months to write one line of poetry." Antony Dimmond sighed as he glanced around the busy bistro.
"Why?" Hannibal inquired as he placed his knife and fork onto his plate.
"At short notice, I was asked to chair the Cambridge committee researching the decline of the nocturnal Lepidoptera. My venerable predecessor who had engaged in several liaisons with ladies of the night, found himself splashed across the front page of the local tabloids and had to resign. Of course, it was sod's law that while my hands were full with one task, my agent would call from New York and insist I write another Adonis Blue adventure."
"Only you could name your hero after a butterfly."
"Yes, but it took a while before the penny dropped even with my agent. There I am, every evening, squatting over a keyboard trying to deposit a fresh tome whilst carrying out my day job. It isn't surprising my poetry became a casualty of circumstance, I can juggle two loves of my life but not three." Antony picked up the wine glass and studied the contents, seemingly lost. Hannibal recognized the signs his friend frequently displayed before sailing into uncharted waters. "I was romancing the other day about how lucky I am to have such good friends. Take us for instance. Two strangers strolling along a boulevard in Paris who bump into each other and voila. Your arm soon firmly placed around my waist, the first link in a lasting friendship."
"You were drunk and fell at my feet. I was concerned about leaving a young Englishman who spoke atrocious French in such a dubious area. I embraced you to keep you upright and to enable us to walk to a safer location."
"Oh what it was to be young and foolish."
"You speak as if we are in our dotage. Thirty four is not ancient. If you have something to say, Antony, then do so. I will not take offence."
Antony enjoyed Hannibal's directness. Where he meandered, Hannibal launched an all out attack. "I like Will, I was surprised when you married an Omega but Will is good for you. I am saying this as your friend, not as a muckraker, but there are rumours circulating, dissecting your marriage. If you do not act they will metastasize putting you into the position of confirmation or denial."
"I do not care what polite society has to say about the matter." Despite his bourgeois appearance and his foppish manner, Hannibal knew Antony was nobody's fool. Highly intelligent, he exhibited good sense when emotions ran high.
"No, but you care about your children." Tipping the glass, Antony finished the remainder of his wine. "Believe me, Hannibal, the worst part of my parent's decision to divorce wasn't the fact they could no longer bear to live with one another, it was the fact I was informed of the news from one of my roommates at boarding school. It was humiliating. After calling the boy a liar, I discovered he knew more about the hellish state of affairs within my family than I did."
"The children's well-being is my priority. I am confident the situation will be resolved."
"Well, don't leave it too long. My parents assured me they still loved me even though they were no longer in love with each other and that after the divorce, everyone would be in a happier place. Take if from me, Han, it was total bollocks. No matter what their intentions were at the time, eventually they were at war and both expected me to take their side." Antony reached for the Merlot and refilled his glass. "Will is very beautiful and is the flame to moth. If the past is to go by, he will have young bucks wooing him, should you decide to go your separate ways."
Hannibal waited until the young server removed the plates from the table. "Has Will been subjected to advances."
Antony realised his faux pas, mentally cursing the wine for loosening his tongue. "I've heard remarks made about Will's desirability but have only witnessed one actual attempt upon his person. It was during Alana's birthday bash at DuMaurier house, when her toe rag fiance Wetherly corralled young Will in the kitchen."
"You rescued Will?" Hannibal kept his voice level, as he seethed inside.
"No, actually, Will rescued himself. He was holding a weapon, a potato peeler I believe and I remembered being bewitched by his Southern drawl as he said "Touch me again, you pile of shit and I'll fucking gut you."
"So, Antony, why keep this from me?" Hannibal was simultaneous proud his Omega had defended himself and angry an attempt to molest the boy had occurred within the sanctity of their home.
"It was Alana's birthday and knowing full well, had you been told, you may have ripped off her fiancé's head and mounted it on your office wall, Will and I agreed it could wait until morning. The next day Alana discovered her future husband had been screwing her best friend and it seemed cruel to pile on more misery."
The look on his sister's face when she heard the news flashed into Hannibal's mind. "You should have told me."
"You are volatile, Hannibal. I've known you all these years and yet even I can't predict how you would react to someone touching Will." Antony leaned forward and whispered. "You do realise I adhere to protocol whenever I'm around your husband. In fact all your friends do."
"I have no reason not to trust you with him." Hannibal said with a look of surprise.
"If Will had been Beta or Alpha I would have treated him differently but because of his Omega status I keep Will at arm's length." Dimmond caressed the stem of his glass. "I feel sorry for him. I am sure he is under the impression your friends are standoffish when in fact it Is our cowardly attempt at survival. It is much easier to treat Will as a fragile little teacup than to try to pal up to him and risk a beating."
"You are suggesting I am over- protective of Will."
"Actually, I would say overly- possessive. I remember that New Year's Eve party at the Challoner's house. You and Will turned up fashionably late and all the eyes in that room turned to you as you made your entrance. You looked handsome, as always but Will was exquisite, with his curls framing his face and that damned collar catching the light. This little Omega in a room full of Alphas shyly ducking his head whenever someone spoke to him, made everyone want to protect and embrace him, until they saw the look on your face." Antony laughed, just loud enough for the other diners to notice, but several degrees below irritation level. "Will is one hundred per cent real, neither phony or calculating, he is naturally modest. And that, my friend, is what makes him unique and desirable within our circle. All your wealth and importance could disappear overnight and Will Graham would stay by your side because he loves you. If I had someone in my life who felt that deeply about me, I would also keep them locked away."
The memories of the party surfaced, how they had returned to Chandler Square rather than face the long drive back home. Hannibal seated in his favourite leather chair looked from his vacant lap to the boy.
"Come here." He demanded and the Omega, smiling seductively, obediently crossed the room.
The gentle kissing and petting escalated after Will pulled him into the bedroom. Provoked by the looks of lust thrown his Omega's way during the evening, he quenched his anger and claimed ownership by fucking the boy, deep and hard.
"I am not Will's jailer." Hannibal declared. "I designed and built a house on the fringes of the Omega sector for us to make our home, but it was Will who wished to continue living with my parents. Perhaps, in hindsight, it was the right decision as Will has continued his education and assisted my father with his book."
"Believe me, Hannibal, once you are on the slippery slope of separation, it's downhill all the way."
Hannibal returned late from the dinner to a silent house and quickly settled in the guest room. Originally the DuMaurier bathroom it had been converted during the second pregnancy and it was where Hannibal had elected to sleep since learning of Will's deceit.
"It creeps me out." Will had finally admitted to Bedelia when she discovered he avoided the bathroom.
Immediately changes were implemented, the bathroom into a bedroom, the walls in the hallways were painted cream and the old varnish on the wooden beams was removed exposing the natural grain. After years of hesitation before allowing even minor alterations to the interior, Bedelia was now on a mission. Subconsciously choosing colours which were predominantly used in Omegan homes, she highlighted Will's standing within the Lecter family.
Staring at the ceiling, Antony's words wormed into Hannibal's imagination and picturing Will being harassed, the simmering in the Alpha reached boiling point. He wanted to march into the Omega's bedroom, shake him awake. Yell at him that it was the Alpha's duty to protect him and that Wetherly was now a marked man. He understood Will's reasons for hiding the incident, Alana's fiancé would not have survived the Alpha's fury.
Hannibal shifted position to lie on his side as thoughts tumbled through his mind. With the threat of his marriage becoming a public sideshow, he knew papering over the cracks was futile and he urgently needed to act on his intentions.
It was Will's spark that attracted him, meek on the outside, but in certain circumstances, he could become scrappy and combative. Hannibal's mind skipped back to their earlier days. Proud when Will attempted to overcome his shyness at social functions, he began to honour the Omega by not being emotionally sober towards him in public. Small steps which, in his mind, had signified a shift in power. From dominant and submissive to equals.
To keep on pushing Will into making decisions without deferring to him was the catalyst for all their problems and the Alpha knew, he alone, owned that mistake. It soon became obvious, by taking the initiative, Will was making serious miscalculations but by then it was too late. The fall out from the Omega's missteps had hurt everyone. As he rolled onto his back, promising himself tomorrow he would make amends, Hannibal still found the ache from one of Will's mistakes palpable.
Six months earlier
"They're growing up elitist." Will had said. Tired of the same discourse, the Alpha had reluctantly agreed to the boy's demands. Rather than an exclusive resort, Will had trawled the internet and found a family friendly hotel for their vacation. Mostly they had enjoyed themselves; riding the Amtrak, taking the bus tours even eating in a burger house, which in the Omega's opinion, normalised their children.
With his hands full by taking sole responsibility for the twins, Will did not notice, but Hannibal had caught the personality shift in Andrius. Sitting on the boy's bed, outlining their itinerary for the next day, Hannibal had enthused over the wildlife sanctuary they had visited without gaining much response.
Pushing the strands of hair away from his son's brow, Hannibal inquired. " You seemed to have lost your smile, Andrius, perhaps it is hiding and we can find it together. If you tell me what is wrong, maybe I can fix it and your smile will return."
Andrius had been hesitant but with a hushed stuttering he asked. "Daddy, what's a freak?"
Hannibal sat powerless as his son, in fragments, related how the woman who had bumped into Will, had spewed the insult "you filthy freak."
"Papa's not dirty. He smells good." The child protested.
"What did Papa say?" Hannibal asked as he gently embraced his son.
"Papa said some people are stupid and we shouldn't mind them." Andrius snuggled deeper into his father's arms until he could press his cheek against his father's chest before whispering his long held secret. "The boys at school call Papa that name. He's why they don't like me."
"You must tell William." Robert had blustered when, on their return, Hannibal had confided in his parents.
"How can I?" Hannibal's emotions waivered between anger and despair as he relived his son's pain. "If he knew the truth, he would be devastated."
"I knew this vacation would be a mistake." Robert paced back and forth. "You could go to the school, speak to the teachers...."
"I have contacted the administrator at the Alpha Doceo in Baltimore who was very understanding and he has agreed to take Andrius. He will start his new school after the summer recess."
"William will not understand. It was he who insisted Andrius go to a school where he could mix with the local children." Robert breathed in deeply, remembering his blood pressure. "He will believe you are undermining him."
"Then let him. I will not tell him that his son has heard the pupils at his school refer to Will as a freak." Hannibal said adamantly.
"Very well." Robert said. "But I am warning you there will not be a happy outcome if William finds out the truth second hand."
"Will is struggling, father, because of this pregnancy. When the time is right, I will sit down with Will and tell him the truth, until then, let the truth rot in hell."
Hannibal woke to the sound of Tomas greeting the dawn in his usual manner by bawling. Hannibal could envisage Will wearily rolling off the sofa couch and picking up his son, holding him close until the sound of his purring soothed the child. Donning his robe, Hannibal opened the door and crossed the hallway into his old bedroom directly opposite. Seeing the bed devoid of any linen made the anger fire up inside of him before he extinguished it with thoughts of the children.
Under the forceful stream of water from the showerhead, he concentrated on his work schedule to prevent his mind concocting an apology. Anything carefully rehearsed would appear false and for once, he didn't mind denting his image by floundering.
Hair roughly towel dried and dressed in weekend casual, he tapped lightly on the connecting door. As he turned the handle, a jolt of nervous tension shot through him and he huffed out a laugh when he realised he was afraid. Will stood in the centre of the room holding his son who was fascinated by the lock of the Omega's tousled hair he had grasped.
"Will, we need to talk." Hannibal began.