Will and Grace

Chapter 14

Will arrived home a few days later. He was quick to put his bags inside and care for his dogs. Alana had been kind enough to stop by a few times a day and care for them, he was thankful but he really wanted to see Grace.

He stood at her door for a long time before finally knocking. It felt like forever ago since he last saw her. He was scared to see her in a way. Maybe he was afraid to see how she was holding up but still, she needed him. Just like the way he needed her.

Grace finally opened the door, a big smile on her face before she had even laid eyes on him. She stepped to the side allowing him in. When that door had closed she found herself crushed into a hug.

Will shook ever so slightly. She hugged him back in hopes to calm him. 

"I was worried." He pulled away and got a good look at her face. "Oh Grace, your eyes." 

"I'm fine." Her eyes had circles from being socked in the nose. Bruised but fading. "I'm fine."

"I was surprised when I heard Jack let you go on and leave." He moved his way to the kitchen. 

"Hannibal was pretty persistent."

"That's right, he left with you...." He got a drink as Grace settled in at the table. "Grace?..."

"Yeah?"

"Do you trust him?... Hannibal I mean."

"Of course I mean, he saved me from what I understand."

"He beat the ever-living shit out of that guy... I've never seen him like that."

Grace tried her best to grasp for her memories of that night but came up empty-handed. She pressed a hand to her face, every time she tried to force it to come back to her, it just made her head hurt. "I can't recall any of it, no matter how much I dig."

"I could show you." Will pulled out a flash drive. 

"Will... Please I really don't want to see that." The thought of watching that night from her perspective made her sick. "Why all this, all of a sudden? What are you trying to get at?"

"I... I don't know." Will put the drive back in his pocket and leaned against the counter. "I just have a weird feeling... Hannibal reacting like that-"

"Do you blame him? I would have the same reaction. For either of you." She sighed. "Jack pressured me and I let him. He was going to let whatever was going to happen, happen. Just so he could get the most evidence he could against that fuck."

Will stood there in silence listening to her. She was right,  if it hadn't been Hannibal, it would have been him.

"Who was the first to get there?" Grace asked.

"Hannibal, then me."

"Will... you have no idea how much I appreciate you two being there. I had an awful feeling after I agreed to all that. Hannibal promised me, he promised to protect me. He did, he kept his promise and that has more meaning to me than anything. So yeah, Will, I trust Hannibal."

"You're right." Will sat in the chair adjacent to her and took her hand in his. "I'm just really glad you're okay."

She hugged him tightly. "Hannibal is our friend... He wouldn't let anything bad happen to us."

He really hoped she was right and that he was just over-analyzing everything. "So how is Hannibal? Seen him lately?"

"Yeah, he stopped by yesterday morning. Checked me over and went on his merry way. He stopped by before going to work I think."

"That's nice of him. When are you coming back to work?" He'd hate to have the space next to him empty for much longer. He never realized he felt lonely when she wasn't there helping him in ways that Hannibal couldn't understand.

"After tomorrow, hopefully by then, I'll be able to cover up most of this with makeup." She laughed while gesturing to her face.

Will poked her nose. "That hurt?" She slapped his hand away.

"Yes, that hurts! It's super tender." She answered covering her nose now. "Feels like I got punched."

They both laughed.

Will felt more tired mentally. Like he had been adrift at sea and Grace was the lighthouse calling him back. He hated dealing with Jack by himself without even Hannibal to guide him along. 

He knew he was leaning too heavily on Grace, using her as his crutch. But she got him and she knew how he thought and how he felt. They shared an unusual bond. He felt as though she had been out there without him like he had been without her. Maybe he was getting in too deep.

She always had this way she would stare off into space but still be able to answer. He always wondered where she went when she did that. She was doing that now as she looked out the window.

"I hope we don't have another case for a bit." Grace felt just as tired as Will. Another case would be too much at the moment, but they both knew at any moment another one of the Chesapeake ripper's victims would pop up.

"I sure hope there's a pause, but never know, this could just be the calm before the storm."

There was a long stretch of silence as they both watched it start to sprinkle outside.

"I have an appointment with Hannibal tomorrow, I wonder what we'll talk about." She paused. "I hope it's something other than that night but-"

"Knowing Hannibal, you'll have to talk about it."

"Yeah."

 Will leaned across the table, continuing with his stare. "I'm sick of rain."

"Yeah, I miss the sun."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while. Hoping that the rain may stop, but it continued to pour.  

Will really hoped things would be okay, that maybe she wouldn't remember any of it, ever. Maybe it would be better that way. He wondered if Hannibal would try to get her to speak about that night or let her when she was ready.

From his window, he could see that Grace still had her lights on. She always left lights on even if she wasn't in that particular room. She probably just didn't like being in an empty house. He could loan her one of his dogs but he didn't think he could part with a single one of them, even temporarily. Maybe the next dog he came across he could offer to Grace. 

He really needed to stop hoarding dogs. 

Will settled into his bed and switched off his lamp, he needed to sleep so he could just get through his day tomorrow. He hoped he could just get back to doing his lectures, oddly enough he missed teaching.

Tomorrow was a new day.