10 hours of hard labor, yet she was still surrounded by boxes. Stacks and stacks of boxes covered nearly every inch of her small office space. It was amazing really, considering how little room she had. You'd think it would take three hours, tops, to move into such a tiny space. But even with the help of Frank and Bonnie, she wasn't even halfway finished yet.

"You ready to head out?" Frank interrupted her thoughts, leaning through the doorway of her office.

"No, I'm going to get a little more done," Annalise replied, pulling more documents out of a box on her desk. "You and Bonnie can go though."

"Okay," Frank said, but hesitated at the door. "You sure you don't want me to stay?"

"Frank," she said, trying to hide her exasperation. "I'll be fine."

Ever since the incident at the Hapstall Estate everyone around her had become overbearing. Even her own subordinates.

Frank stepped through the doorway.

"I think I'll just hang around for a bit. Maybe help you unpack some more."

Annalise glared at him.

"Frank, I swear, if you're not gone by the time I finish putting away the contents of this box..."

She hadn't decided on what she would do so left the threat open-ended.

Frank stared at her, but didn't make a move to leave. Annalise could tell he was trying to gauge the seriousness of her threat.

"Try me," she said.

"Okay, okay." Frank threw his hands up in defeat. "But if something – if you need anything, just call me."

"I always do, don't I?" Annalise said, turning her attention away from Frank and back to the box she was unpacking.

She waited a few minutes, putting several papers away into their respective file cabinets before looking up to see if he was gone. She walked out into the reception area to check. No Bonnie. No Frank.

It suddenly dawned on her that it was the first time she'd been alone in weeks. She leaned back against the front door of the office to take in a full view of her new practice. It was small, but in a prime location: on the 15th floor of a waterfront office space in Manhattan. By Philadelphia standards, it was extremely cramped. But, in New York, for a small practice like hers, this was considered luxurious.

It had a tiny bathroom, an equally small kitchenette, and two offices: the one she used and another she let Frank and Bonnie argue over. The largest room by far was the one she was in now: the reception area. The place was costing her a fortune – Sam's fortune, actually. But six feet under, she didn't think he would mind. It was the least he could do. Still, her deceased husband's money wouldn't last forever. She desperately needed new clients. New York clients. Would it be wrong to pray for a murder? A high-end one. Some wealthy heir gunning down his cheating wife.
What she wouldn't give for a killer to walk through her door right now.

She went back into her office, picked up the box cutter on her desk and searched for her next target. One box in particular caught her eye. It was sitting on the floor beside her desk, unlabeled. She remembered packing it with tremendous care. And when the movers brought it in she'd hovered over them until they'd set it gently down in her office. She bent down, ignoring the pain in her stomach, and slit the tape open. The contents were all still there and from the looks of it still intact. Belvedere vodka. Just what she needed right now.

Suddenly a loud banging pierced the silence. Her eyes flew open, and for a moment she couldn't remember where she was. Had she just fallen asleep? She pushed herself up from her desk, but had to hold on to the edge to steady herself.

The pounding at the door continued. Her office wasn't even open for business yet. And even if it was, who the hell would be banging on her door like that? She walked to the front, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She peered through the door's textured glass, until she was able to make out a familiar figure on the other side. She smiled, as she unlocked and opened the door.

"Eve, what are you -"

"What the hell, Annalise," Eve said, rushing toward her. Eve held her by the shoulders, her eyes scanning her from head to toe. "I thought something had happened to you. It's 3 o'clock in the morning. "

Annalise just stared, her groggy mind slow to process Eve's hurried words.

"I called you a dozen times." Eve continued. "Bonnie called you. Frank called you."

Annalise glanced around the office, trying to remember where she'd put her phone in this mess. She didn't have a clue.

"I'm sorry. I must've fallen asleep." Annalise replied.

Eve sighed and shook her head, clearly frustrated. These days, Eve was rarely upset with her for anything, so Annalise remained silent, unsure of how to respond. Eve took the moment of uncertainty to brush past her into the office, uninvited.

Eve glanced around, surveying the place before pushing aside a few boxes and settling on the waiting room sofa.

Annalise had wanted to wait until she'd finished unpacking before inviting Eve to see the new space. Clearly it was too late for that. She watched Eve, waiting for her assessment. But Eve continued to look around, to look everywhere really, except at her.

"What's wrong," Annalise asked, joining Eve on the sofa. She winced at the sharp pain the movement triggered in her stomach, but was grateful Eve didn't see it. "I'm fine. I don't understand why you're so upset."

Eve turned to her, started to say something, but quickly looked away again.

"It's...nothing."

"Tell me." Annalise insisted.

Annalise could see Eve struggle with a response, before shaking her head.

"No, it's really not that important. Let's just go home."

Annalise would normally press her until she got an answer, but right now she was just so tired. Too tired to wrench an answer out of Eve. It was a conversation that would just have to wait.

Eve barely said a word on the drive home. In fact, the only time she'd spoken after they'd left the office was to insist Annalise leave her own car behind and ride home with her. But now Annalise wondered why Eve had been so persistent. Annalise kept glancing at her from the passenger seat, hoping she'd at the very least acknowledge her presence, but the silence just dragged on.

When they arrived at Eve's flat, Eve left the car in such a rush she left Annalise behind in the process. It was so out of character for her, Annalise didn't know whether to be more worried or upset. Annalise hurried to catch up, at the cost of a great deal of pain to her stomach. She cursed under her breath, and pressed down on her bandaged wound with her hand. After a few moments, she felt wetness and knew she was bleeding. She hoped it was just spotting, not a broken stitch.

Annalise followed Eve into her flat, glancing down to make sure the bleeding wasn't obvious. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad and her Navy blue dress was dark enough to mostly conceal it.

"Eve," Annalise called, struggling to hide the pain in her voice. "We both know you're angry with me. I forgot to call, I'm sorry. I don't know what else you want me to do here."

Eve paused for a long moment, before turning to face her.

"Why would I be angry?" Eve said, her voice tight. "I don't have any real right to be angry, do I?"

"I don't understand…" Annalise said.

"I'm just what? A glorified roommate, right? You're not obligated to tell me where you are or how late you'll be out. "

Annalise let out a deep sigh, slowly making her way to the couch and easing herself onto the cushions. The pain in her stomach was becoming unbearable at this point. But it was nothing compared to the dread she felt at having this conversation. She had known it would come up eventually; she just didn't think it would be so soon.

"Eve, when you invited me to come here, you said there would be no strings attached."

"It's not - I'm not -" Eve stumbled over her words. She roughly ran her hand through her hair before continuing. "I'm not trying to pressure you. I'm just trying to figure out what we are? What this is." She motioned between them.

"You said we were friends," Annalise replied. "Good friends, who enjoy each other's company."

"That was before. Now, we're living together."

"Well..." Annalise struggled for a response. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Eve. Not after all she'd done for her in the past few weeks. Past few months really, if you counted helping her ex-boyfriend beat a murder charge. But clearly she was hurting Eve, just by being here.

"Do you want me to leave?" Annalise asked.

"No," Eve answered quickly. "You don't have to do that. I just - "

Eve stopped and studied her for a moment. Her eyes narrowed and Annalise could see she was focusing on the site of her wound. Annalise subtly tried to turn her body to hide it.

"Are you bleeding?" Eve asked, approaching her.

"It's nothing" Annalise said, holding up a hand to halt Eve's approach.

"My God, Annalise, why didn't you say anything?"

Annalise just shrugged. Eve had enough to worry about; she didn't want to add to her concerns. She'd done enough of that recently.

Eve sat beside her and surveyed the rapidly growing dark stains on her dress.

"Did you break a stitch? We may have to go back to the doctor."

"No," Annalise said, standing so quickly she nearly cried out in pain. "I've spent enough time in hospitals. I'd be happy never to see one again."

"Fine," Eve relented. "For now. But at least let me check the bandage."

Annalise immediately panicked at the suggestion. Eve may have had intimate knowledge of her body, but the thought of Eve seeing her bloody gunshot wound made her cringe with self-consciousness.

"That's okay. I'll check it."

Annalise quickly brushed past Eve, but was stopped by a hand on her arm.

"Annalise, just let me help," Eve said. "Please."

"But it's - it's rather gruesome."

Eve let out a hollow laugh, "You think I care about that? I'm more concerned that if I don't check it myself, you'll try to hide the pain and end up bleeding to death on my brand new carpet."

Eve said it with levity, but Annalise saw the overwhelming concern in her eyes.

Minutes later, Annalise found herself standing in the bathroom with Eve.

"Do you know how to do this?" Annalise asked, fiddling with the medical kit in her hand.

"Yeah, I've done it before," Eve said, taking the kit.

Annalise stared at her questioningly.

"You're not the only one with secrets, you know," Eve responded, arching a brow.

Annalise started to ask her about the source of her apparent gunshot wound knowledge, but Eve abruptly turned her around so that her back was facing her.

"What are you doing?" Annalise asked.

"Well, I can't change the bandage while you're in the dress."

Annalise tensed but realized the truth of the statement. The dress would have to come off. She hadn't even thought about how utterly exposed she'd be until now. She cursed herself for never wearing pantsuits. Why was she so nervous anyway? It wasn't as if Eve hadn't already seen, touched, kissed every inch of her at some point in their lives. She'd just have to get over it for the moment. Besides, Eve was already unzipping her.

Eve turned her around and finished peeling off her dress, allowing it to fall in a heap to the floor. Annalise caught her eye for a moment but quickly looked away.

"I'm going to take this off," Eve said, and gently began peeling back the bloody bandage.

Annalise hissed in pain. Thee blood had dried somewhat causing the bandage to stick to the wound.

"I'm sorry," Eve said, still focused on pulling off the bandage. "Okay. Unclench. It's over."

Thank God, was Annalise's first thought. It hurt, but the quicker this was over the sooner she could put some clothes back on.

Eve wet a washcloth at the sink, pouring a small amount of soap on it.

"This is going to hurt. Especially if you pulled a stitch. I can't see right now because of..." she faltered. "Because of all the blood."

Annalise watched silently as Eve very gently began cleaning her wound. This woman was always taking care of her. Always fixing things. It was a stark role reversal for her. Typically, she was the one called upon to take care of people and their problems. Until this moment, she'd never felt so much like a burden.

Annalise was so caught up in her thoughts, it took her a moment to realize Eve was no longer cleaning her wound. She'd tossed the cloth and was now trailing her fingers lightly across the stitches. Annalise shifted uncomfortably. The actual bullet wound itself had been small. But the bullet had been pressed against a nerve, causing her immense pain. The surgeons cut her open to remove it, and in the process the scar had quadrupled in size.

"It's hideous, I know," Annalise said, stepping away from Eve's touch. She reached for the bandage on the bathroom counter to cover the wound. But Eve rested a hand on her forearm and she stilled.

"Look at me," Eve urged.

But Annalise couldn't look at her. How stupid of her to allow Eve to see her scar. What had she expected would happen? Of course, Eve was disgusted by it. She was disgusted by it herself. She wasn't even sure if it would ever completely heal, or just stay there as a reminder of that horrible night.

"Annalise," Eve said, gently cupping her chin and lifting her head until their eyes meet. "I find everything about you beautiful."

Annalise tried to pull away, but Eve held her still.

"No, listen," Eve insisted. "Your scar...how it looks…doesn't bother me. It bothers me that you were hurt. I just…"

This time, it was Eve who looked away.

She inhaled deeply before continuing, "This could have turned out very differently."

Annalise felt a terrible weight on her shoulders. She knew Eve had been upset about what happened; she just never knew to what extent. But the way Eve looked right now, Annalise could only remember one other time when she'd seen her that sad. And that had also been her fault. All she wanted to do now was comfort her.

"It could have. But it didn't. In fact, you could say it's what brought us together."

Eve replied with a wry smile, "That's a nice thought. Basically, it took you getting shot to finally move in with me. What do I have to do to get you to commit? Chop off a leg?"

Eve may have veiled the remark in humor, but Annalise knew the seriousness of it.

"I just need time," Annalise said, almost pleading. "I want to be that person for you, I do. But my life is such a mess right now. It wouldn't be fair to drag you in it."

"I'm already here," Eve responded, raising her voice. She paused, taking a few calming breaths before continuing. "Listen, I don't want to pressure you into anything you're not ready for. But the more I'm around you, the more I want you. And the more I want you, the harder it is not to have you."

Annalise started to respond, but Eve held up a hand to stop her.

"Don't volunteer to move out again. You know I don't want that."

Annalise smiled slightly. "That's not what I was going to say."

Eve looked at her questioningly.

"This isn't easy for me either. Every time I'm around you, I just want…" Annalise trailed off. She could feel herself moving closer to Eve, though she never intended to do so. Everything about Eve was addictive. Her scent. Her touch. Her kiss. Never had one person held so much pull over her.

Eve stepped in, filling the remaining space between them.

"We can't do this," Annalise said, more to convince herself than Eve. "Blur the lines like this. Especially with me living here."

"I don't care." Eve said, gently wrapping her arms around her waist and pulling her closer.

Annalise stared up at her, her breathing growing heavy.

"It's only going to make this living situation more difficult." Annalise said. But with Eve pressed up against her, she could feel her resolve slipping away.

Eve chuckled at her remark. "For me? ...or for you?"

Before Annalise could respond, Eve leaned down. Her lips lightly skimming over Annalise's neck. Annalise closed her eyes at the contact. How long had it been since Eve had touched her like this? Annalise knew she should be stopping this, but Eve's lips were so enticingly warm against her skin. Annalise heard herself moan and bit her lip to choke it back.

"Relax," Eve mumbled into her neck. "Don't think."

But Annalise couldn't help but think. Of how much she wanted this. How much she wanted her. And in this moment, she could have her. Fuck the consequences.

Annalise turned her head and captured Eve's lips. The kiss was slow, soft and familiar. But Annalise wanted more. Her tongue swept over Eve's lips, parting them. She deepened the kiss, satisfying her desperate need to taste more of the woman in her arms.

For a moment, Annalise thought she was being too forward. But Eve was quick to match her, pushing her back against the cold tile of the bathroom wall.

Eve trailed her hands up her waist. The skin-on-skin contact suddenly made Annalise remember that she was practically naked except for her underwear while Eve was fully clothed. That would have to change. She tugged at Eve's shirt, pulling it out of the waistband of her pants. Her fingers fumbled to undo the buttons but she was making slow progress. Eve realized her struggle and pulled back from the kiss to pull her shirt over her head.

Annalise felt the absence immediately. She quickly closed the space between them, sliding her arms around Eve and pulling her close to plant kisses across her now-exposed collarbone down to the fabric of her bra. That would have to go too. She reached behind Eve to undo the clasp, but Eve apparently had other ideas.

Eve pushed her firmly back against the wall. Her mouth latching onto Annalise's neck, nipping and sucking at the most tender spots.

"Fuck," Annalise muttered, clutching Eve tighter.

She felt Eve smile into her neck. "I plan to."

Eve continued concentrating attention on her neck, but Annalise was growing more impatient, more eager.

"Eve, please, I need…"

Eve hummed an acknowledgement. Now she was the one reaching for Annalise's bra clasp, deftly undoing it and allowing the garment to fall to the floor. Annalise laced her fingers through the softness of Eve's hair, tugging her towards her breast.

Eve, as compliant as ever, dragged her mouth down to the tip of Annalise's breast, taking a nipple into her mouth and suckling hard. Annalise's body jerked at the contact.

It was all Annalise could do to continue holding herself upright against the wall. And honestly, the effort was becoming an unwelcome distraction. So she allowed her legs to give way, sliding down until she was sitting on the cold, hard tile floor. Eve followed her down, her mouth never once breaking contact with her skin.

Annalise immediately regretted this new position. Sitting was awkward and applied an uncomfortable pressure to her exposed wound, which up until now she'd completely forgotten about. Eve must have noticed her squirming to get comfortable, because she grabbed her thighs, pulling her down until she was lying back against the floor.

Eve hovered over her, gliding her tongue across her breasts, lavishing attention on both before moving lower, licking a path down her stomach until she reached the waistband of her panties. Her last remaining piece of clothing. But that distinction didn't last long. Eve pulled back to tug them off and toss them across the bathroom floor.

Annalise closed her eyes in anticipation of what she thought would be next. But Eve took her time, leaving warm, wet kisses on the inside of each thigh. Annalise cupped the back of Eve's head, again trying to guide her to where she wanted her most. But this time, Eve was determined to set her own pace. She untangled Annalise's fingers from her hair and continued to focus on her inner thighs, nipping at the tender skin then soothing it with her tongue.

Annalise groaned. She reached out to find something to hold onto but her hands just slipped and slid along the smooth floor. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. She needed relief now and Eve seemed to be taking her time, savoring the moment.

Eve either heard her thoughts or felt her frustration building because suddenly Annalise felt a tongue parting her folds. She jerked against Eve's mouth. Eve responded by firmly holding down her thighs as she sucked and licked at her flesh.

"Oh God," Annalise whimpered as Eve found her clit, wrapping her lips around it and drawing it into her mouth. Eve held it there, flicking it over and over again with her tongue. Suddenly, Eve slipped two her fingers inside of her, twisting and curling them. It was all Annalise needed to go over the edge.

Annalise arched and cried out. Her fists clenched and her legs tightened around Eve. Eve continued to slowly pump her fingers in and out of her as she climaxed. Annalise was overwhelmed by the aftershocks of pleasure, hardly able to catch her breath. She lied limp on the floor, completely spent as Eve began to lap at her. When she finally did catch her breath and open her eyes, Eve was lying beside her, a wide grin on her face.

Annalise returned her smile. "That was…"

"A first," Eve finished for her.

Annalise shot her a questioning look.

"We've done this in several weird places: a storage closet, that photo booth at the mall…but never on the bathroom floor."

Annalise laughed at her assessment. "I'm sure that's because it's not the most hygienic place to have sex."

"And that grungy photo booth was?" Eve challenged.

Eve had her on that one. Annalise just shook her head and chuckled. But the moment of levity was short-lived. Her face fell when she realized the gravity of what they'd just done.

Eve must have noticed because she said, "Don't worry. This doesn't have to mean anything."

Annalise looked at her with a sad smile. "It does mean something. You're not just sex for me, Eve. You have more of my heart than anyone."

Eve smiled at the remark and cupped Annalise's cheek, caressing it with a thumb.

Annalise didn't want to disappoint this smiling, content woman in front of her, but she knew she couldn't commit to any relationship. Not with her entire life upended. Not with her future so uncertain.

"I wish I could go back and change so many things."

"Don't say that," Eve replied. "Everything happens for a reason. You're here with me now. That's all that matters. I love you, Annalise. You know that. But I also understand you. I know you're not in a position to choose anyone right now. I wish it were different. I know sometimes I can get pushy about it. But I do understand."

Annalise returned Eve's smile, unsure of what to say. It was just like Eve to ease her mind with only a few words. To so completely get her.

"You're the best person I know," Annalise blurted. She felt the lameness of the remark, but it was what she was thinking. Eve's smile widened.

"Are you ready?" Eve asked.

Annalise looked at her, puzzled.

"To get off this floor. It's kind of uncomfortable."

Annalise laughed. "Kind of? I think I threw my back out."

Eve stood first and reached out to help Annalise to her feet.

Annalise struggled. The effort caused sharp pinpricks to shoot across her stomach. She groaned.

Eve's eyes fell to her wound.

"Oh, shit." Eve said. "I completely forgot. I'm sorry. I guess I just got carried away."

Annalise let out a strangled laugh, her eyes tearing. "I think we both did."

Now that she wasn't in the throes of passion, she was hyper aware of her injury. It was even more painful exposed to the cold bathroom air.

Eve studied the wound. "Well, luckily I didn't break anything."

Eve grabbed the antibiotic ointment out of the medical kit, squirted a little on her finger and gently brushed it across the wound. She moved quickly to apply a fresh bandage, lining it up and pressing it into place with great care.

"That's it," Eve said, packing the unused supplies back into the medical kit. "How does it feel?"

"Better." Annalise said. She placed a hand on Eve's arm and waited for Eve to look up at her. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. I like taking care of you."

Annalise replied drily, "You only say that because you don't have to do it full time."

"We both know that's not true."

"Maybe," Annalise shrugged. "But it is true that I'm a total mess right now. Even you have to admit that."

Eve shook her head dismissively then smiled mischievously. Her eyes scanned over Annalise's still naked form, lingering in certain areas more than others.

"You seem pretty well put together to me," Eve said.

Annalise reached down to pick up her dress from the floor. She didn't want to put that same dress back on, but Eve's gaze was making her squirm.

"No, Annalise," Eve reached out to stop her hand. "Don't. I'm just teasing you. That dress is stained with blood, you can't wear it."

"Fine," Annalise threw hands up in defeat. Instead of her dress, she grabbed her panties and bra from the floor and swiftly put them back on. She looked to find Eve standing there, still grinning.

"It's late. Let's go to bed," Annalise said, still somewhat flustered.

Eve nodded in agreement. They walked out of the bathroom together, neither saying anything. Annalise kept glancing at Eve, disappointed that she was still practically fully clothed, minus her top. Once Annalise reached the door to her bedroom she looked back to find Eve turning the knob of her own bedroom door.

"What are you doing?" Annalise called out.

Eve stopped and looked up, her face puzzled.

"You didn't think that was it, did you?" Annalise said with a playful grin.

Realization slowly dawned on Eve's face.

"I thought you said you were tired," Eve responded.

"No, I said it was late. Meaning it'll be morning soon, so we don't have much time."

Eve stood frozen at the door, a smile spreading across her features.

"Are you coming or not?" Annalise asked. She entered her bedroom, Eve on her heels.