Chapter Text
"--in which we worked closely with the media to flush out Dolarhyde..." Alana looked down at her watch and stepped behind the podium. "Okay, I want to remind everyone before you go that tomorrow is the last day to select your killer of choice for your paper. Please inform by word of mouth or email which you decided on, class dismissed, thank you."
"Dr. Bloom? I wanted to ask about the paper...?" A woman approached her desk as the rest were filing out, her red hair tied back into a tight pony tail. She had pretty blue eyes and an expression that told Alana she was about to ask him something that Alana might not want to be asked.
"What is it, Starling?" She gathered her papers into her bag, tidying up the desk.
"I was wondering if I could do my paper on Dr. Hannibal Lecter."
Alana looked up at the young trainee, her head tilting. "... You can do your paper on whoever you wish, Starling, that's the point of the project."
Starling hesitated, then pushed on. "You're still friends with Will Graham aren't you?"
"Are you asking me if you can interview Will Graham as a victim of Dr. Lecter?"
"Yes. I understand that he doesn't talk on the subject often and I was hoping that perhaps you could convince him to speak with me..?" Starling's hands were closed into fists at her side.
"For the good of your paper." Alana balanced a hand on her hip, looking at the young woman. "Are you going to interview me as well, or do you not want to involve your teacher on the inner workings of your school work before you hand it in?"
Starling was clearly starting to get a little flustered. She looked a little torn. Alana tilted her head. "Starling, why did you choose Dr. Lecter as the subject of your paper?"
The young woman bucked up nicely under the scrutiny, her chin lifting and a little determined look touching her eyes. "He's the most notorious serial killer at large right now. I'm interested in the case. Maybe a fresh perspective is what's needed to--"
"Jack Crawford put you up to this didn't he?"
Starling's teeth clicked together from how fast she shut her mouth. Her cheeks were a little pink but her expression didn't change. "Yes, ma'am but that's not to say I'm not interested in the case."
Alana gave her a smile and reached out to give her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I appreciate the honesty. Let me talk to Jack and I'll get back to you on whether I feel its appropriate for you to do a paper on Dr. Lecter."
She gathered the rest of her things and strode out of the classroom. Starling accompanied her for some of the way and Alana spoke briefly about being impressed with Starling's past work before they separated. Alana felt frustrated. This was such a backhanded way of getting to Will.
When she arrived at Jack's office she didn't even wait for him to finish whatever meeting he was in. She pulled open the door and strode inside. "Jack, can we talk?"
Jack paused mid conversation, then leaned forward, motioning for Zeller to go ahead and step out. "What can I help you with, Dr. Bloom?"
"She's only in her second year of FBI training and you're putting her on the Lecter case?"
"I'm not putting her on any case. I suggested a topic for her paper, that just happened to be for your class and she agreed to it. She seemed very interested in it."
Alana pressed her hands onto the desk. "I'm not stupid, Jack. I know what you're doing. Will retired. He got out of this all and made a life for himself that doesn't involve murders of the week."
Jack tapped his fingers onto the desk. "He's the last connection we have to Hannibal Lecter, who may I remind you is still at large. I need him on this case, I need him in the game."
"You have an entire bureau full of investigators that are familiar with this case and an academy full of bright young minds that are looking for a chance to be heroes. You can find Lecter without Will Graham."
"Will Graham never told us everything. He spent months under Lecter's roof and he told us maybe a fraction of what happened."
Alana stood up straight, her hands gripping onto her hips as she tried to keep her voice down. "You want to dig up old wounds because you think he didn't tell us everything? That's all? He was held against his will, tortured, raped. He shouldn't have to rehash everything, Jack."
He seemed unpertubed by her anger. "He said himself that in the last day Lecter was sloppy, that he was sloppy about everything. How could a man that kept so many secrets so well, a man that's been on the run from us for years now, have been completely undone for the sake of a towel, Alana?"
"I don't know, Jack! I don't!" Her plan to not yell wasn't working. "You can't do this to him, Jack, you can't. He's healthy, he's happy, he's moved on."
"I'm trying to save lives here, Alana. We know of seven victims that have a possible link to Lecter since he escaped, who knows how many more. We can't just overlook that for the sake of Will's happiness. This is life or death." He stood, his forefinger driving down onto the desk. "Now you have the option of helping and making this work or I'm going to have to go around you and do it myself."
Alana shook her head. "I can't believe you were going to disguise this as a term paper. I can't believe you were going to have a second year student barrel in and violate Will's privacy under the pretense of learning, how dare you Jack."
"Would you rather go yourself? The option is on the table. We aren't getting any closer to catching Lecter by standing here and arguing over the morality of my decisions."
She glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "This is why Molly doesn't allow you over for dinner, Jack."
Jack sighed and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I'm not overly concerned with how many dinner invitations I get from his wife."
"I don't bring up Lecter to Will. Ever. You're asking me to step over that line for you." Alana pointed at him. "You're asking me to violate a trust."
"Take Starling with you, she's a sharp mind. She can be your pretense if you don't want it to be out of the blue."
Alana shook her head sharply. "No, Jack. No. I'm not ambushing him with a student. That's manipulative and wrong and--"
"If you take an agent with you he might not talk."
"I'm not taking an agent to his home, Jack! I'm not taking a student either! I'll go. I'll try to talk to him. What are you looking for out of him? Every painful memory he can muster up the strength to talk about?"
Jack rested his hands on the desk,lowering his head. "... I want him back on the case."
"Don't ask me to ask him that." Alana could feel her anger starting to spike again. "He retired, Jack. He got out of this business, he doesn't even teach any more. He's happy where he is, you can't just rip that away from him because you're failing at doing your own damn job!"
"If you don't ask him then its going to be me at his door asking him. I'd like there to be a chance of him actually saying yes, so if you would please just go talk to him, you can say on my behalf and convince him to come back on board because I need him in the saddle for this one."
Alana glared. She felt her breathing catch her throat and she felt angry. So angry. She couldn't express how angry she was. She looked down at Jack's desk and whapped his name plate down to the floor. She turned away and stormed out of the office, her hand lifting to press against her mouth.
It was too much to ask. Will never asked about the case, never asked how it was doing, how close they were. Especially not how many victims. Whenever Alana had been present at the same time as Jack, Molly would cut him off. She would find something else to talk about, deviate it to the dogs. Will would follow the distraction. Eventually Jack wasn't invited any more.
It was cruel to bring this up to him after so many years. It was wrong. She knew if she didn't do it Jack would catch Will at his home, his sanctuary and bring it up. He would talk over Molly and break through the shield she represented to get to Will and bring it all back to his doorstep.
Alana knew what she'd just been blackmailed into doing and she hated herself for it.