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“Why can’t the psychos give it a rest for Christmas?” Zeller sighed as Price unzipped the body.
“Maybe because they don’t keep tabs on what holiday season it is?” Price shoots back in that sarcastic - but maybe he is serious - tone.
“Aren’t you Jewish?” Katz retorts back when entering the lab.
“Yes, but this year Hanukkah is the same day Baby Jesus was born. And sis invited the family to dinner to celebrate with the un-jewish part of the family.”
“I’m sure she can understand" Will shot back.
”Hey no-family man, you clearly haven’t dealt with my sis."
Katz shoots him a dark look while Zeller asks, "What?“
Price tries to subtly indicate the look on Will’s face but before it turns into a pity fest Crawford roars in. ”So what do we know?“
Price takes the lead. "Clean incisions. Here, here and here. The killer took two major organs-”
“Liver heart and…” Zeller looks hesitant to say, probably still trying to deal with the fact the body is missing a good amount of blood.
“Zeller, spill it!” Jack presses, “This is not the time for daydreaming.” He promised Bella to be around tonight but it seems like a long one. Couldn’t the Ripper go on holiday like everyone else?
“The blood is missing.”
“The blood?” Jack huffs thinking to himself that these killers are getting more crazy by the second.
“An offering to the god he sees himself as,” Will adds to the conversation.
“Great, another one with a god complex,” Zeller breathes under his breath.
“He wanted to take his life force.” Will’s trembling voice echoes through the room. He looked like shit, but this seemed to have taken a toll on his conscience.
All four look at him with worry and concern.
“Alright Will, but is it the Ripper?”
Will takes a step closer to look at the body. One small nod and he adds, “He was thinking of a gift.”
“Wow imagine that, the ripper giving us this gift for Christmas.”
Jack steps a bit closer to Will to get the empath’s point of view, while the science team goes back to work.
~~~~~
“Do you really think the Ripper gifted this to us?” Preller asks while picking up the thorns stuck in the man’s chest.
“Maybe. I mean, he’s the kind to do this sort of stuff,” Brian replied concentrating on filling the report.
“Mmmh, did you know that the X in Xmas comes from the Greeks? The letter X was pronounced ‘chi’ which is an abbreviation of the word Christ. And-”
“Price”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up,” Brian says with a playful smirk.
“I thought you enjoyed my random fact of the day?”
“A random fact? You mean one every hour.”
“Now you shut up!”
Beverly enters with coffee. “Found anything?”
“Apparently, the ancient greeks used the letter X and pronounced it ‘Chi’,” Zeller replies while labelling one of the evidence bags to send it for analysis.
“Real proof.”
“Well, the Ripper used the thorns to mark the body with small Xs,” Price replies while getting his and Zeller’s coffee. “And I do think it’s because he is referring to-”
Brian takes his coffee and kisses Price cheek in a playful manner before taking a sip.
“Referring to baby Jesus,” Beverly finishes the sentence before showing them the report on the wood they found the body on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The growl of a stomach echoes through the lab, breaking the silence of everyone in the room. Will is replaying the crime scene in his mind. Jack is trying to conceal his worry for Will and reassure himself this is for the greater good. Meanwhile, Katz is trying to see with Price if the wood and the thorns were bought at the same place. And Zeller is starving.
“Here I am when i could be having a slice of cherry Kugel,” he cried, picturing the delicious dessert.
“Zeller...cut it,” Crawford barks back.
“Look, we are going nowhere right now. How about we all go home and come back tomorrow with a fresh pair of eyes and a full bell?” he says with the biggest grin.
“This is the Ripper. The more we wait the more the track grows cold.”
“The track is already cold!”
Jack throws him the look. The one which makes you understand you’ve overstepped your boundaries and were being disrespectful. But before the head of the BHSU roars the man to shreds, Will opens up. “He’s right Jack. The Ripper is toying with us. We aren’t learning anything new with this corpse.”
A phone rings.
“Not me.” Price declares, nor is it Brian’s or Katz.
Will looks down and sees it Hannibal. He gestures a sorry and walks out of the room to reply to his psychiatrist and - to his own surprise - boyfriend. God, the word still sounds weird even in his head.
“Hello?”
“Are you not sure of who it is?” Hannibal’s voice comes out playful yet seductive.
“N-no- Yes. It’s been a long night.”
“It seems. You haven’t showed up for dinner.”
“Shit! I- I’m so sorry Hannibal.”
“I grew concerned when you didn’t reply to my text messages.”
Will pulls the phone from his ear to have a quick look. Shit. Five texts and two missed calls.
“I’m sorry. The Ripper is at it again. I’m stuck in the lab til Jack is satisfied with a lead.”
“Is there a lead?”
“Of course not. The Ripper was precise. As always.”
“Jack is desperate to push his fragile teacup till it breaks?”
“Hannibal,” Will snaps, irritated by the long day and lack of sleep. “Sorry.” He immediately adds.
“It’s been a long day, Will. Have you eaten?”
A long pause. Will is trying to recollect the last time food even entered his stomach. A thought growl echoes through the room. “Does coffee count?”
“I’m on my way.”
“No! Hannibal!”
It’s too late, the cannibal doesn’t hear the protests. He’s already preparing a feast for his beloved and the agents he likes to torture.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Jack’s office, the scent of deliciously home cooked food has invaded the space. He looks down to the plate served and takes another deep breath. Better than the food he would have picked up for Bella. He wishes he could be with her tonight.
“This smells delicious, Hannibal.” Jack compliments before taking the cutlery in hand.
“Why thank you, Jack,” Hannibal replies with a smile. He hands out a plate to Beverly, then Will. “You will forgive me, it was a bit rushed.”
“Rushed?” Price nearly laughs. “Rushed is me trying to make this punk eat some cereal in the morning.”
“It looks and…” Beverly takes a bite, “Tastes wonderful.”
“Foie Gras and figues as entrée. Then Guinea Fowl with a porto reduction served with Morilles and Topinanbour purée”
Zeller pokes his other half in the ribs which nearly makes Price’s dish fall. “What the heck did he just say?” The man whispers.
“Fancy french dish.” Jimmy replies with a smile, “It’s alright darling just eat what the elegant man made.”
“Are you crushing on him?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you find him elegant.”
“It’s a matter of fact, Brian.”
“I’m not elegant to you?”
“You are….special to me.” Price smiles
“Plus, i don’t think the striped suit is a look for you.” Beverly snickers swallowing her foie gras.
“It’s certainly a unique look,” Will butts in.
“Does he have paisley underwear?” Zeller asks curious to know the answer while the psychiatrist is busy talking with Jack.
At least he thinks.
“Not paisley. Nor is it a cheap five percent cotton one found in walmart,” Lecter says with disgust at the thought such an inexpensive material would touch him.
“So what custom made, just like the suits?”
Hannibal looks at the lab agent with amusement, questioning when the conversation had for topic of his undergarments.
“Silk,” Will replies.
“Silk?” The trio of scientist stare at Hannibal.
“And Will has holes in his.” Lecter throws out the information. “And one with dogs. He’s particula-”
Graham sends out a look to his lover.
“I’m guessing someone isn’t going to have some love tonight,” Zeller shoots in the silent room.
“I’d appreciate not knowing about any of my employees underwear or sexual relations,” Jack says after swallowing down his food.
“It’s Hanukkah and Xmas, Jack! Loosen up a bit.”