Truthfully the office was a bit lonely. It was vacation, which meant no one was in town, including Asher, so here I sat with Bonnie day in day out doing absolutely nothing but stacking and re-stacking files, and then unstacking them because I was bored just to do it all over again. So, when there was a knock on the door, I got excited. I gasped. "Can I get it?"

Bonnie chuckled. "Go ahead."

I sprang up and ran to the door, opening the door rather quickly. "Hey, how can I help you?"

"Hi. I'm Ms. Keating." She said softly. "Is Annalise home by any chance?"

I blinked. "Bonnie?" I called out.

She got up, and walked over to me. "Oh...hi Hannah."

"Well hello, Bonnie. So nice to see you. I was just inquiring as to where Annalise was to the nice young woman." She smiled warmly.

It was sweet. Sickly sweet. I didn't like her. And by judging Bonnie's body language, I sorta assumed she felt similarly.

"Annalise is actually out on vacation for the next few days." Bonnie responded tentatively. "But I can surely tell her you came by."

"Oh that wont be necessary. I'll wait. I brought my bags." She grinned, rolling her suitcases to the front of her.

I almost grimaced. Almost. Bonnie did grimace, making me giggle.

"Right. Okay." She opened the door a bit wider. "I'm sure you know where the guest room is."

"Of course I do. This was my house after all." She stated. "Thank you for your help, uh..."

"Ms. King. Leorah King." I responded.

There she was again with that fake little nasty smile. "Nice to meet you Ms. King." And then she was upstairs.

"I don't like her. Her smile is like cough medicine and she's giving me off freaky vibes." I said softly.

Bonnie rubbed a hand on my back. "Yeah. No one likes her, Leo. No worries."

"Why is she here?" I asked.

"Probably because her brother is missing." Was her response.

"Oh shit. Ms. Keating as in..."

"Sam's sister." She nodded, resting against the edge of the desk. "Mhm."

"Great." I said sarcastically. "How wonderful."

"Truly." Bonnie shrugged. "Oh well. I have to text Annalise." She took out her phone and I groaned.

"I'm bored, Bon. There's nothing to do. I've stacked these files seven times already."

"Well, you're lucky you haven't stacked them an eighth." She said sarcastically.

I glared at her.

"Okay, okay. How about this, I text Annalise, finish up this paperwork, and we'll head home, huh? How about it?"

I grinned. "Sounds quite nice to me."

"Okay." Bonnie smiled back. "Now get to restacking. Make it even, ten maybe."

I nodded. "Ten is a good even number."

And so, after the tenth restack, and the finishing of her paperwork, we made our way back to Bonnie's house.

"So." I said slowly. "What's your favorite color?"

Bonnie looked at me with raised eyebrows. "What is this? Twenty questions? Aren't we passed that?"

I rolled my eyes. "No. I'm just wondering."

She was silent for a moment before responding. "Yellow."

I nodded. "What size shirt are you?"

"Oh G-d." Bonnie groaned. "You're not really thinking of buying me a present are you?"

"Pfft." I scoffed. "What gave you that idea?"

"Please don't. I don't do Christmas." Bonnie stated.

"How come?" I asked.

"Bad memories." She muttered.

I sighed, "Me too. But. Christmas was...always a time of thinking for me. I did a lot of thinking on Christmas. What I'd do when I got out...where I'd live. I'd pray some nights for Josie's parents to adopt me. I loved Christmas. Even if bad things happened. And you're my family, Bonnie. I want to do something special for you."

"Your presence is special enough." She said, resting a hand on mine. "Really. I love having you around, and that's good for me."

I sighed, my eyes sad. "Alright..."

She sighed. "I'm sorry, Leo. You get it, don't you?"

"I do." I nodded. "Sorry. I'm being stupid."

"You aren't. It's alright. You and Josie can buy each other stupid presents right? I bet you guys have crazy traditions." She said, trying to change the conversation.

I smirked. "Yeah, crazy alright."

She smiled at me before putting her eyes back on the road.

She didn't know me at all. I didn't care. I had been making her a present for the past few days, and she was getting it, whether she liked it or not.

It was later in the day. I'd gotten green construction paper from the basement, and decided that if we weren't going to buy a tree, I was going to make one. So, there I sat, taping green strips of paper to a wall as a makeshift tree.

Bonnie came down the stairs in her pajamas, an empty tea mug in her hands. "Watcha doin, kid?"

"Making a tree." I said plainly. "I always had a tree. No matter where I was. Even if I had to make it. It makes me feel...comfortable." I shrugged.

"It's cute." She smiled, refilling her mug with hot water.

I smiled back. "You think?"

"Yeah. I mean," she shrugged, sticking another tea bag in, "it's a little lopsided, but."

I threw a shred of paper at her and she laughed. "It's good. Real symmetrical. I was kidding."

I smiled shyly, and began to work again.

"Hey, your back is all healed up." Bonnie commented, running her fingers along some of my scars.

"For the first time." I mumbled.

She sat her tea down and wrapped me in her arms tightly. "Proud of you, Leo. You hear me?"

I nodded.

She kissed my forehead and brushed a thumb across my cheek. "How about we have you take a break from that tree, hm? We can share a tea, I can read to you, and we can go to bed."

"I like that idea."

"Me too." She smiled, leading me upstairs.

Bonnie was still under the impression I wasn't getting her a present. But on Christmas Day, I woke up at six in the morning, far earlier than Bonnie, and drove all the way to Josie's. I'd been working on something for her, and I'd spent days making it, little did she know.

Josie drove back with me to the house, and I set up the present underneath the 'tree' and we started on breakfast. Waffles. I wasn't the best cook, but it wasn't too bad I guess. Although I was covered in flour.

"Y'know, these aren't going to come out well." Josie said, licking batter off her fingers.

"How kind." I said sarcastically.

"I love you!" She said emphatically.

I rolled my eyes, a smile reaching my lips. "Yeah, I love you too."

There were footsteps reaching the kitchen, and I turned my back to the waffle maker to see Bonnie trudging into the kitchen. "Hey. You're up early."

"Merry Christmas!" I squealed, hugging her.

"You're getting flour on me." She said.

"Sorry." I pulled away, a grin still on my face. "I'm cooking breakfast. It'll be done in five."

"Thanks, kid." She rubbed my shoulder with her hand. "Hey, Josie."

"Hey." Josie smiled. "Did you see the tree?"

"Did I see the lingerie pinned to my wall? Yep." She nodded, pouring herself a glass of water.

I giggled. "It's pinned to the tree, not the wall."

"Right. The tree that's pinned to the wall." Bonnie smiled.

After the last waffle was made I wiped my hands on my pants. "Okay. All done. Josie, you set the table. I need to get something."

With that, I ran into the living room, tripping over the couch ever so slightly. I reached for Bonnie's present and lugged it into the kitchen.

"Oh no. You didn't buy me a present, did you?" The blond groaned.

"Noooo." I smiled. "I made it."

"I told you not to." She softened her eyes.

"I know. But you're my family, Bonnie. I needed you to know that." I mumbled, lifting it and handing it to her.

Bonnie smiled lightly, "Thank you."

"Open it!" I said excitedly.

She sat, and tore the paper. She teared at the sight.

I'd spent days on a painting of the two of us. It was a hidden talent of mine, and I hadn't done it in years, so I was a bit rusty. But it was the one thing that could calm me down, and keep bad thoughts from creeping in. She looked up at me with a hand covering her mouth.

"Do you like it?" I asked softly.

"I love it." She said through her tears. "Did you do this?"

I nodded sheepishly.

Sniffling, she carefully placed the painting against the wall and gathered me in a tight hug. "I love it, Leo. Thank you."

I smiled against her shoulder. "You're welcome."

For the last few days, including after break, Criminal Law 100 had been shut down because Annalise was out for so long. It was getting sort of worrisome. Finally, we'd gotten an email stating that it was up and running. I was glad. I went to class that morning and saw Laurel, Wes and Connor walking with one another down the stair well. I ran over to them. "Hey."

"Hey." Connor wrapped an arm around me. "How was Christmas?"

"Very festive." I said sarcastically. "I made a paper tree on Bonnie's wall. Josie came over. Asher tried to make us have some kind of elf sex..." I shrugged. "The usual."

"Did you do it?" He asked quietly.

I elbowed him. "No."

Michaela walked up. "Happy New Year, how's everyones break been?"

Connor focused in on Michaela's new shiny ring. "What is that?"

"A fake." Was her response. "I bought it with cash at a jeweler in Chinatown. So, did everyone have a nice holiday?"

Everyone stuttered and groaned in not too nice responses before she started back up,

"Well, mine was great. Aiden and I spent most of it in East Hampton with his parents, then we went to the mayor's New Years party at Gracie Mansion."

Connor cut her off. "Is there any new about the sister? Did Annalise scare her back to Boston yet, or did she just kill her?"

"What are you talking about?" Michaela asked.

"Sam's sister." I raised a brow. "She got here right before the break. She went to the police, said she didn't believe any of it. She at least told you, right?" I looked at Wes.

"No." He shook his head. "How do you know?"

"Bonnie." I said. "I was at the office when she got there."

Suddenly, the two large doors opened and in waltzed Annalise. "Welcome back everybody. I hope you had a nice break. Vacation is over. This is how to get away with murder, the second semester, where things get even harder than the first."

I groaned. I really didn't need my classes getting harder.