Disclaimer: I don't own anyone but myself (Cassie). No I don't. So, please don't sue. They all belong to Mr. Harris. Yesh.

Summary: When Chilton's niece's mind idolizes the deep grandure of the doctor's mind, she finds more than she bargained for, but what she finds, will it destroy her? The Truth.

Note: Flames will be used to roast marshmallows. *nod nod* DO NOT USE unless asked permission.

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Title: Labrador

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Part One

"Uncle Fred, PLEASE!" A short brown haired girl sat in a ragged old swiveling chair, sliding back and forth back and forth.

"No, Cassie." her slimy-voiced uncle, Fredrick Chilton answered. "He is a MURDER I will not let you talk to him! Besides, It's bad enough I've let you see the case files! I won't let that monster know who you are!"

Cassie Kilemann was Chilton's sister's daughter. She was a very bright girl with a mind much clearer than other family members that sat before her. But now she found herself doing something that could be rather foolish. She was pleading to see the renowned serial killer Hannibal Lecter.

It had all started three years ago when she had came across the scrap book of inmates her uncle had kept, and all the ones he WISH he had. She had meet those black and white maroon eyes and gasped. She saw behind the charmingly sweet smile he portrayed at the local charitable event.

She had stolen his book from time to time and pawed feverishly over the different articles on the good doctor. She stashed away one when ever she could. From than on her mind tangoed with the words that he had said, his philosophies, and others.

She became infatuated with the horrors that Lecter had caused, and yearned to hear his reasoning. She wanted to know what the others had coveted but not dared to ask. What made him do the things he did? What made him himself? Was he just a brutal killer, or something far to beautiful to explain.

Eventually the little scrap book she had started to keep with her notes and scribbles in was discovered, and her mother had a head fit. She feared her daughter would develop into an exact likeness of the killer, that one day it would be HER daughter behind that cold glass incarcerated for unspeakable wrongs. But, that would never happen. That would disgrace the eyes of the original, the sibling, the father.
Cassie shook the memories and stood up. "PLEASE, uncle? We HAVE to do a paper on famous criminals! If I could only say a few words to him! SOMETHING... I NEED this grade! It could pull me up to the top of the class, past that damn Lexington girl!" She was only in high-school, but she fought even now to be the top dog.

Referring to a rival psychologists daughter hit a key with him. Chilton frowned and thought for a while. He sighed finally, and leaned over. He tapped his pen against his temple lightly. "I'll tell you what... I'll let you sit in the room outside the hall with Barney and the monitors. You can observe him...but that's IT."

"YES!" Cassie jumped up. As they walked down the halls toward the 'dungeon' the teenager's heart leapt in bounds, pounding furiously against her chest. She was going to see him, actually see him. She hadn't really hoped to attempt talking to him, and found it a wonder she was getting this far.

Metal bars slid open, and the two were surrounded by water-stained brick. It smelled foul, more so than any amount of air fresheners could correct the odor. Not that she liked those nasty scents things anyway. They were horribly strong and hurt her nose.

"Well now, a little bit young to be a visitor, no?" A tall rugged African American stood infront of the gates that blocked 'the walk'. Cassie grinned Barney and her had talked many times while Lecter was in with other people. She had cornered him one day after they had become friends, and had talked ever since. She often wondered if he had ever mentioned her to the Dr.

He smiled, and nodded as Chilton gave him orders to keep her here. Cassie's mind was already distracted by the cameras that were focused on the last cell on the left. It was him. But, he was talking to someone, a women who she immediately analyzed.

She would be in college, most likely a with some higher law enforcement like the FBI or CSI who got a lucky ticket and was trying to pry open the lion's jaws. But, she was nervous. collected but nervous. She was bent in her chair with a calm and collected manner, she talked softly and directly to Lecter, all emotion on her face. This was a person who KNEW him. The women must have known it was no use to be fearful around him, for he would do what he will.

"Who's that?" she whispered to her uncle, feeling a stab of jealousy run through her.

"That is Agent Clarice Starling of the FBI... she's looking for Lecter's help on a case... surprisingly he's agreed ...lucky bastard..." She could feel he uncles eyes tracing the young agent.

He disgusted her sometimes, he really did. His snake like words and narrowed ability to grasp the true reasons and common curtsies of people. The only thing she would ever thank him for was introducing her to the person of Hannibal Lecter. Though, he did not endorse her opinions on him or appreciate the small bits of facts she had dug about Lecter that were so simple they had fatally looked over them.

She had not even noticed that Clarice had come out to great Dr. Chilton and Barney. She saw her for the first time in color. And suddenly, just standing there watching her talk to the two men, making various excuses on why she couldn't share much information to them, Cassie's jealousy seemed to evaporate. The women's sadden yet hopeful eyes, the sound of exasperation in her voice, her light face movements that indicated she most likely had a head ache made part of the girl's heart melt. She felt for the women, and yet... there was something about her that made her intricately interesting.

Clarice's light brown eyes met Cassie's hazel and she frowned. "Chilton. WHAT is a little girl doing here?"

" I am NOT a little girl!" Cassie protested. Her eyebrow knotted as she almost took back what she had momentarily thought about the women. She, at least, could not see people like she did.

Clarice only grinned. "Maybe not, but this is still not some place for anyone, let alone one qualified."

"Oh, Cassie here is qualified." Barney winked at her. "She has some VERY interesting views on Dr. Lecter, and has been more polite to his name than other certain peoples, as well as more accurate than others." He looked straight back at Chilton when he glared. Clarice looked amused.

The FBI trainee reached out her hand and shook Cassies. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you... Maybe sometime in the future you could share your views with me..no, I would appreciate hearing them some time. But, I have to get back to work now." And, with that the little starling flew back to school.

Part 2

Cassie had come in for the past two weeks and watched the good doctor over the blurry survivance cameras. She sighed and put her pen down. Barney was sitting there, talking to him. It was no use.. she couldn't read lips from the side. Besides. She couldn't see Dr.. Lecter thinking very highly of someone who watched him like a vulture.

"You just going to have to excuse me, Dr." She whispered to herself. " If I could confront you instead of squirming here like a worm buried in it's hole, I would..." She sighed and looked at the clock. Her uncle didn't get done for another hour.

She looked over to the other guards. All of them were straight faced and cross. Nothing like Barney. She sighed. This was crazy. She had learned so very little. She didn't even notice her friend as he came up to her.

"Cassie?" Barney spoke softly, shaking her from her dream.

"Huh?" She looked silently up at him. "Sorry Barney, what is it?"

"I told him about you." He half smiled.

Cassie's eye widened to the size of saucers as she started feeling it hard to breath. "You what?" she squeaked. He knows about me... he knows about me...
Those words rang through her head.

"He's very interested on what a 'child' could have collected on him. I say though, that he is rather more intrigued than offended. That's a good thing." Barney smiled at her, and held out his hand. "Can he see your book? I assume there's nothing dangerous in it."

"Barney... won't you get in a lot of trouble? I mean..." she fidgeted with the scrapbook she took out of her backpack.

The other guards smiled. They admired that they didn't agree with the idea, but she could see in their eyes that they admired her determination. They liked her a WHOLE lot better than her uncle. "We won't tell anyone." Cassie grinned.

Taking a deep breath, she handed Barney her most beloved book, and sat down for the verdict... She could see Lecter accept it, and start flipping through the pages. His eyes scanned the words, his every blink making her bite her lip a little harder. And for one moment he could have sworn that the Doctor had lifted his head slightly to wink at the camera. In about twenty minuets, Barny came back.

Cassie stood up nervously." Yeah?"

Barney smiled, and stepped aside, the gates to the walk still open. He motioned his head for her to follow him. She gulped, her palms sweating. She was going to meet him. She was going to meet the one man that puzzled her. The one that she couldn't QUITE brake down.

She came to the end. and stood infront of the doctors cell, her head held slightly high. Could he smell her fear? Could he hear her heart beating like she had been running a few miles? Could he see her eye twitch slightly like she could pick up on a person. She couldn't see how he could not.

"Bonjourno Dr. Lecter." She nodded to him a greeting, and watched his simple nod back.

"You speak Italian?" he questioned. His voice, so long awaited, hit her ears like silvery notes.

" No, I do not, it is just my personal greeting. May I sit, sir?" She motioned to her hand to the extra chair Barney had set out.

"Of corse, Barney, how could you not remind me of my manners?" His eyes fell back to the book in his hand. Cassie look around slightly nervously. He glanced up at her and folded his hands to his face.

"You are frightened? You fear what I will say to you, and yet you say you know me so well. By that token, shouldn't you be able to predict what would run through my mind when I see you? By your OWN words, you believe you are superior to my mind, to your uncles, to all those who have tried to rip my soul into pieces. And yet, you do the same thing yourself."

Cassie blinked. "I don't pretend to know you, sir," She tried to continue, but he stopped her.

"Ah... but you do pretend. You believe in your heart that you know me better than anyone of those 'shrinks'. You think you understand me, as you clearly state in your own notes to self... This is rather...arrogant of you, is it not?"

"Doctor,"She blinked, unfaltering. He was trying to brake her down. He knew she only wanted his approval. She yearned for it. "I can only write what I see, what I feel. I can only write what I see to be what you feel. If I am wrong, please by all means correct me." Her eyes softened as she stood and walked up to the glass. Barney's arm kept her from going to far.

"Barney, my friend. There is three inches of glass between us. I can not do her any harm, nor would I." The good doctor turned his head to him. He backed off nodding. The doctor's glance returned to the girl who stood in from of him, pleading.

"You remind me of someone, you know that?" He watched and smiled as her eye brows furred in confusion. "Someone I met just recently. Your ambitious, confident, determined, willing to risk all in the matter of good forsaking all public opinion. But, you are stubborn. TO much so for anyone's good."

Cassie smiled down at her feet, than looked back up. "I have been told this, sir."

"Do you know what you are?" He asked quizzically.

She blinked. "No, no I don't believe I do."

"Your a labrador. A lab pup, with the heart of a lion. So eager to please, shine in your master's eyes, to fetch and reap rewards. they could beat you down and you'd proudly;y stand back up, ready to try again. And you face your fears, you do. You can stand infront of me and smile."

There was a silence as the girl's eyes watered up, but she didn't let the tears fall. She was honored, proud, and comforted by his words. "Doctor?" She asked softly. "Could you answer something for me? Something I can not figure out about you."

The cannibal raised a eyebrow at her forwardness. "You can ask, but you may not get a reply."

"Who are you? What angel in devil's clothing are you? Why does the world see you as a piece of filth, you my savior?" She gritted her teeth, "Am I really sick, insane, or just petty?"

The doctor smiled softly, generally, something that was not seen before. "My little labrador, you have seen into madness as only insanity can view...But that doesn't make you a member of the society. You see in me what you can not find in others. I challenge you, and make your self proud. My ideals, with the exception of my eating habits and means of getting dinner, reflect your own. I am a sanctuary for your mind. But you mustn't fall in the hole, little dog."

Cassie looked up, slightly confused. "What do you mean."

"You see how people are. Don't follow it. Don't become like your uncle. It will kill you, what you could become. Trade in your Master, think softly of him, but escape, run away before you are beat down because of him."

The tears of happiness that once threatened were now that of grief. He wants me to go. He wants me to leave. She cleared her throat. "I can't do that doctor."

The man closed his eyes. With a black grace he stood and placed the book into the slot in which it could be transferred, and paused before giving it back. Barney went over and got it for her. Cassie stepped up and gulped.

" I would never want to betray you doctor, disgrace you, ignore you... but I can't let you go. I hope you will not punish your pet."

"... A good dog is never beat. Doctor Chilton. How nice to see you."

Cassie spun around to the angry eyes of her uncle. He looked like he could have shot all three of the others in the room with out second thought. He sneered at them to get out. But Hannibal smiled, and yelled up the hall as Barney took her out of the room.

"Be obedient now, my labrador!"

That night, Cassie sat in bed, her mind spinning out of control with thoughts. She had written her paper, but couldn't find how to finish it. Her eyes fell on her scrap book. For the first time since her visit with the doctor, she picked it up. There on the front page which would have been her letter to self, was a new piece of paper with Lecter's writing scribbled across it. It read:

Labrador,
It was so kind of you to answer to your call. I dear say that your
uncle should be quite proud of you, if not envious. You are closer to
game than you can imagine. And remember, adorable pup, all children
must grow, and people's bark is worse than their bite.

You Master