Will Graham and Clarice Starling Working On A Case Together Would Include…
Author’s Note: I’ve had this thought in my head for a while now and I needed to get it out somewhere. Thank you @bonsoir-oiseau for bouncing around some ideas with me as soon as I mentioned this idea to you. You’re an amazing writer and I love your works a lot! :)
This is set in an alternate universe after Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs and before Hannibal. Sorry this is a bit shorter than my last headcanons post!
Content Warnings: Will Graham is jealous, Will is pulled out of early retirement again, mentions of alcohol/alcohol usage, implied alcoholism, references to disfigurement, trauma and mental health issues (opening up about it), arguing, mild language, and mentions of abandoning family.
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• After Clarice had pulled her “little stunt” (saving the senator’s daughter alone and calling backup later) according to the higher-ups in the Bureau, Crawford reluctantly decides to pull Will Graham out of retirement one last time to work with Agent Starling.
• Crawford knows Starling can handle herself extremely well—-but he still is a little worried about her. Clarice argues with him for about an hour based on this idea alone. She thinks it’s extremely limiting.
Starling stands in front of Crawford’s desk with her arms crossed. “Mr. Crawford, I don’t know if I should work with your former protégé. you told me yourself that Dr. Lecter had messed him up horribly.”
Crawford looks up at her, his eyes peering over the rim of his glasses. “Yes…I’m aware. I think maybe you could learn something from each other.”
‘I’ll call bullshit.’ she thinks to herself.
Starling huffs softly at this response, but decides not to try and argue with him any further about the situation. She’ll just have to make do with Crawford’s idea.
• When Will Graham is told of this idea, of course he initially rejects it. He feels…jealous? No—-he’s been replaced. He doesn’t see a point in trying to work with her. She’s young—-and a lot smarter than he is. Not just that, but why would he work with her anyway? She lived an “idyllic farm girl lifestyle” and she’s possibly a yuppie.
• Clarice is furious about the fact Will left his family behind for the Francis Dolarhyde case. She thinks it’s stupid that he would even do such a thing. She thinks he put his ambition over the people who cared for him and that he should’ve considered that decision more.
• Will wasted most of his smarts on whiskey after retiring the second time. Besides, he firmly believes she’ll mock him or be frightened by his appearance after being disfigured. He enjoys living in solitude in Florida. Why go back to his old job?
• Upon meeting each other, Clarice initially keeps her distance from him, occasionally glancing at his face or noticing the way his hands shake. She doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable. She does her best to at least be polite anyway.
• Will doesn’t say a whole lot when they first meet. He isn’t the greatest at small talk, so he just nods and listens to her as she speaks after introducing himself. He holds out his hand for a handshake and notices that her grasp is firm—-solid.
• Most of the car rides they have with each other are silent with some radio noise in the background. They both can live with that.
• Except one night in particular, during an uneventful stakeout, Will decides to ask her a question to try and start a conversation.
Will glances out the window, then turns to face the young agent next to him. “When you met with Dr. Lecter…did he ever ask about me?”
“…Only once,” Clarice responded, keeping her eyes peeled for any suspicious activity. “Why do you ask?”
“I find it odd he asked you about me and you hardly knew who I was.”
“…I think Dr. Lecter was trying to get under my skin.”
“Do you still think about him?”
“Occasionally. You?”
“…Often. He haunts me…that son of a bitch.”
• They bonded over the way Lecter had treated them during their different cases and Will explained to Clarice what Lecter had done. They never spoke to each about Lecter again after that conversation.
• As the case gets more difficult, they begin to argue a bit more about the details and the facts. Clarice tends to empathize more with victims while Will has the ability to deeply understand the perpetrator.
• One time while they argued, Will brought up his perception of Clarice’s background—-someone who lived this ideal 1950s farm girl life. Clarice wasn’t having any of it.
“You think I had it made, Mr. Graham?” Clarice hisses, pulling the car over.
“Well, I—-“ Will tries to start, feeling himself move forward and sharply hit the back of the car seat as she hit the breaks and put the car in park. He notices the ire in her eyes.
“I grew up poor in a small town in West Virginia. I lost my dad when I was eight years old, Mr. Graham. He was someone I really looked up to. My mother took care of me and my siblings for a little while after that—-but then my mama decided to send me away to live with relatives,” Clarice begins, feeling tears prick her eyes, “It was great at first—-but then I left them with an old horse after hearing lambs screaming. I lived in an orphanage until I eventually was able to live on my own. This is your lesson to never assume everyone has it great, Will.”
Will exhales, taking all of this information in about Clarice. He hadn’t even realized he was holding his breath as she spoke. He realizes now, his own perceptions of her were completely false. He feels like kicking himself until Clarice speaks again.
“You know how you told me Lecter haunts you?”
“Yes.”
“He's keeps tryin’ to get in into your head, Will. Same way he tried to wiggle into mine. You told me what Lecter did 'fore you put him away. Remember that. Remember the victims. Don't let yourself become another one.”
Will nods, then stares out the window for a bit. Her words felt like a slap in the face—-except he felt like he needed it. He opens up his flask and takes a swig of his drink.
“I uh…I relate to growing up poor. I was raised in Louisiana. I moved ‘round a lot on the east coast. I didn’t know my mother, though. Then I worked as a detective for a bit and eventually became an agent. Um…I’m sorry you were sent away by your mom and your dad passed away.”
Clarice glances over at Will and gives him a look of respect yet surprise. “…It’s not your fault. I’m sorry you didn’t know your mom. I didn’t know that about you.”
“Well I guess you learn new things when you open up, hm?” Will chuckles, taking another swig of whiskey out of his flask.
Clarice just nods, putting the car in drive again to get back onto the road so they can go get a late dinner.
“I’m sure your father was a good man, Clarice.” Will mumbles, then looks out the window.
He doesn’t see it, but Clarice gives him a small, genuine smile, then focuses back to the road ahead.
• Despite the case’s difficulties, Starling and Graham managed to solve it. They gained respect for each other after the case ended and decided to go their separate ways.
• Will still thinks about Clarice occasionally. Any time he sees her on the news or he reads a newspaper clipping about one of her successes he feels a small half-smile tug at his lips. She’s a very sophisticated woman.
• Clarice also thinks about him occasionally too. She hopes he’s doing well, staying in his home in Florida. She hadn’t really kept in contact with him after the case, but she’ll never forget the experience she had working with him.
