THE WOMAN CLOTHED WITH DARKNESS (A Red Dragon Fanfiction)

Disclaimer: Red Dragon and its characters belong to Thomas Harris, not me.

Part 1 - The Woman Clothed With Darkness

Reba was at home, listening to music. She had left hospital a week earlier, and was trying to start living again. Her mind, though, was too full of unanswered questions.

The whole thing that happened was just crazy, unacceptable. Of course, she had accepted Francis's death; she had accepted that he was an insane murderer. But why, why, out of the billions women in the world, did he have to meet her? And why, in such a short lapse of time spent with him, did she have to fall in love with him?

After all, he had barely spoken to her. How could you fall in love with a man you practically don't know?

But the most painful feeling was guilt. It was unendurable. She felt guilty for having been so stupid, for having trusted a silent man who had stepped into her life out of the blue to ask her for some infrared film and had found himself compelled to give this poor blind woman a ride home. And in a couple of days they were in bed together. Man, this was crazy. Yet, she couldn't regret it.

Even after learning that he was a ruthless killer, she couldn't forget that something about him had captivated her into a sphere of charm he probably didn't even know to have. This love was simply an inscrutable mystery. Still now, she couldn't think of Francis Dolarhyde the serial killer, the "Tooth Fairy", the "Red Dragon", the beast that had killed two perfect, innocent families without any logical reason, and Mr. D, the silent, shy, yet so sweet man that had attracted her so much without never pitying her, as the same person. And this was another thing that made her feel so guilty: she could have saved him. When she was in hospital, that FBI agent, Will Graham, had told her that she didn't draw a freak, but a man with a freak on his back. She had managed to separate the man from the monster, but the monster had fought to take over…

Anyway, let's be realistic, she thought. Even if he hadn't let the monster take over, even if he had stopped killing, even if he had managed to get over his horrible past, what would it have been for? FBI would have found him anyway and put him behind bars forever.

If only his mother hadn't abandoned him just after his birth… If only his grandmother had been a sweet, fairytale-style grandma instead of the crazy freak she was… Those two bitches… It was their fault… It was them who created the monster.

But it was useless now. Reba could have thought of this as a trauma which would have haunted her sleep for a long time, perhaps forever, if it wasn't for the tiny, few-cellular half-life that was starting to form inside her.

And here's another trick destiny had played on her. One night with Francis Dolarhyde, one night of passion, wonder and confusion, had left a surprise. A baby, his baby. Isn't this crazy.

She already had pictured everything: a blind woman, all alone, with child and with a shameful relationship with a criminal behind her… Waves of pity. Man, how she hated pity.

But it wasn't this rubbish to worry her. Neither was her blindness, it wouldn't have kept her from raising her baby. Her concern was about the baby itself. Did she really want to become a mother? If so, the baby would soon feel the need of a father figure, or at least know who his/her father was. Then what would she tell him/her?

But the worst of questions, the nail that was slowly and constantly piercing her mind was, did she really want to give birth to the fruit of a passion that had broken her heart forever and that was the most painful of memories?

"Will. Will! There's a woman named Reba McClane on the phone, she wants to talk to you," Molly Graham told her husband.

After hearing Reba's name, Will winced. In a nanosecond, all the events of the past weeks flowed into his mind; he saw Reba's face, her short blonde hair with that funny haircut, her big eyes, those eyes so full of terror and melancholy even if they only saw total darkness… And then he saw Francis Dolarhyde's face, that face distorted by an irrational presence rather than a labial imperfection, a pair of angry yet so suffering eyes…

Molly snapped him out of his thoughts before he could answer the phone.

"Will," she whispered, "if this call means a need for help, then it means trouble. Just remember we've had enough. And anyway we're leaving."

"Don't worry," he said, "I know this woman. If she's called me, it means it's of vital importance. I'd feel horrible to refuse. Besides, neither do I myself wanna risk to get killed again."

Molly just watched him going to the phone, wondering when the hell would they leave him alone.

"Hello, Miss McClane?"

"Good morning Mr. Graham, please forgive my disturbing you again after all that has happened…"

"Don't mention it. It's happened to you too. How are you feeling?"

"Quite the same as you last saw me. But my hair's combed now", here she added a tired chuckle. He chuckled too, remembering her messy hair when he had paid her a visit in hospital.

"But I'd better get to the point," Reba continued, "I've called to ask you for a piece of advice. I… well… I just didn't know…", here Will heard her voice cracking, "…I didn't know who to talk to about this…".

"Miss Reba, you don't have to worry. It's over. Nobody will hurt you again. I understand that you miss him, it's perfectly normal. You don't have to feel guilty or ashamed about your feelings for him. Remember what I told you? You're the best thing that ever happened to him. Just keep this in mind.", he encouraged her.

"Mr. Graham, I'm… I'm pregnant. No need to tell you who the father is."

Will winced again. She's carrying the child of the Dragon… But he quickly drove that shameful thought away. What the hell. The nightmare was over, for Christ's sake. She was a normal woman, even smarter than any ordinary woman. She didn't deserve more trouble.

"Oh," he managed to say after a pause, "Well… Just take this as it actually is. Do you want the baby? I mean, do you think you have the physical and mental strength to raise it? Tell me honestly."

"This is the dilemma," she said among sobs, "I'd happily keep this baby if it were for me alone. But it isn't. This baby is me and D… I mean Francis… Me and him together. When the baby grows, what will I tell him about his father? I hate lies, I hate them even if the truth is so painful…"

"You won't have to lie. You've just said it: this baby is you two together. This means it's the result of a love story, not of a wrong relationship with a murderer. So, if you feel you can assure your baby a happy life, the darkest part of his father will be dead forever. As for what will you have to tell him, it's early now to think about it. When your son, or daughter, will have grown enough to know such things, you'll know what to tell him, and when. You'll be able to handle this, I'm sure about that."

"I already love this baby," she said, "but my worst fear is to ruin everything… And I'd prefer to spare my innocent creature a life of sorrow because of my mistakes…"

"Then you have to choose: if you think this child will bring only nightmares and sad memories, and is already condemned to a difficult life, then you'd better get rid of it, it would be the best thing for the baby and for you. But if you see it as the eternal continuation of one of the happiest moments in your life, then keep it. The baby is the human part of Francis Dolarhyde, the part that has loved you. You regret having not managed to save Francis from the Dragon. With this baby, you have already saved him. You'll make it. You're stronger than you think."

Reba chose to keep the baby. She was worried, but also curious. Maybe it would have been difficult, but she chose to start over. After all, she knew why D had become the Dragon. She knew who was guilty.

She felt that if she killed it, her life would never have found peace.

Months later, she gave birth to a healthy, pretty, perfect baby girl. Even if she couldn't see her, she knew she was beautiful. And for the first time since time immemorial, Reba felt happy.

She named her Frances.