Inheritance of the Beast

If you asked anyone, they'd say Hannibal was not a domestic person. He prided himself on his extravagant feasts and support for the finest arts. He was always surrounded by the rich, who could tell anyone interested in listening that Hannibal was eccentric, hedonistic, and narcissistic—and yet the best company you could have for social gatherings.

Will knew that, even without anyone having to tell him, he could see it clearly, and for that reason alone, Will was reluctant to accept the man's invite to dinner, it was a great relief when Hannibal told him Alana and Jack would be there too, they'd probably discuss the latest case, and if it were or not the Chesapeake Ripper's work.

It was, in fact, a lovely dinner, a little over the top in Will's opinion, yes, but nice altogether, they were talking calmly while tasting the food, the side dishes were delicious, and the meat tender, there was a piece of classic music playing softly through the dining room, they talked a little between bites, Jack was convinced the Ripper was ready to start another sounder, Will was telling Jack that the crime scene didn't feel like the Ripper, Hannibal was encouraging them, curious about the differences between this murder and the others, and there was Alana in the middle, trying to dissuade them of talking about dead bodies and murder at the table.

That was why they didn't react immediately when a child's cry came from a small device at the side of the room. A moment later, they noticed what had happened, seeing that in seconds, Hannibal wasn't there anymore. The child's cry, coming from what they identified as a baby monitor, settled a little, and a voice came from it instead.

"Shh shh, tėtis čia, mažylis, kas negerai? (Shh shh, daddy's here, little one, what's wrong?)" Hannibal's voice sounded softly, speaking in a language the three of them didn't recognize. They looked at each other with wide and confused eyes, transmitting a clear 'what in the hell is happening'.

Suddenly, a little whine came through: "Tėti... Košmaras (Daddy.... Nightmare)".

"A child...?" Alana muttered in disbelief. How is it possible for Hannibal to have a child? She wasn't even aware of it; she'd known him for years! Unless it's not his child, maybe he's caring for them for a friend? That should probably be it. Hannibal's not a parental figure; he's too self-centered for it.

Hearing footsteps, they looked at the dining room's entrance, but the man didn't cross the door frame, showing that he probably went directly to the kitchen. Not knowing what to do or what to think of what was happening, Will decided to stare fixedly at his plate. There was some food on it still; should he finish eating? No one else was eating; would it look weird?

Saving Will and his awkward thoughts, Hannibal showed up again, coming from the kitchen, but he was not alone this time. In his arms, he was holding a little boy with clear blond hair, he was wearing a two-piece silk pajamas (Will couldn't help asking himself why a child would need silk pajamas, but at the same time feeling amused by the thought that the father-son duo probably have matching sleepwear), the child who couldn't be older than six was carrying a small bottle filled with milk slowly sipping from it with eyes still wet with tears.

"I apologize for leaving so abruptly, my friends. My son had a nightmare and became upset." Hannibal started, not paying attention to the wince Alana gave as he confirmed the identity of the child. "If that's his son, then where's the mother?" She thought. "I'd have known if he was in a relationship, right? I wasn't so subtle about my interest in him." Lost, she looked at Hannibal's hands, and indeed, there was no ring on his fingers.