Eve awoke to gentle kisses being placed along her stomach and thighs, and a body bobbing beneath the sheets. It took a moment for her to realize that no, this was not a dream. This was real. Annalise had not only stayed the entire night, but she apparently had plans that took them well into the morning. Eve's movements told Annalise that her lips had done the trick, and she slowly began to ascend, taking the same trail that had brought her below Eve's waist.

"Good morning," Annalise murmured against Eve's skin, refusing to break contact, and Eve was almost too wrapped up in Annalise's affection to realize how out of character this was for Annalise.

Almost.

"You're still here," Eve commented aloud just in time for Annalise's head to pop out from beneath the sheet, her face devoid of make-up, her natural hair no longer covered by her wig.

Her armor lost.

"Where else would I be?" Annalise asked as though this was the most natural thing in the world: Eve's fingers trailing up and down her back, their bodies pressed together as the sunlight began to shine through Eve's bedroom windows.

Halfway back to Philadelphia, ignoring my calls, Eve almost blurted out. But she knew better. She'd had enough practice to know better.

"Are you really in the mood to have this conversation?" she asked honestly, not bothering to try and beat around the bush. After all these years, she had grown so tired. How many times would they play this game of emotional chicken?

Annalise picked her head up after that to look Eve in the eye, bracing the top half of her body above Eve. She was good at playing dumb when it came to this. Reality. Feelings. If this had been them during their Harvard days, Annalise would have jumped at the chance to instigate a fight. But she, too, knew a lot of things she hadn't known in the past.

"I had fun with you last night. And this morning," Annalise paved the way to an entirely different subject hoping to steer Eve away from a subject that would cause the previous night to leave a bitter taste in both of their mouths.

Eve responded with a sigh, her fingers tracing along the outline of Annalise's lips. "I had fun, too," Eve finally relented against all her better judgment. Her brain was ringing its bells and whistles for a five alarm fire, but her heart was an entirely different story. Eve wasn't stupid enough to think she had Annalise. But she wanted to pretend. Just for a little while.

"So what do you say…" Annalise drawled, capturing Eve's thumb between her teeth and allowing them to sink into her flesh before soothing those imprints with little sucks and swipes of her tongue. "We have a little more. For old time's sake," Annalise added as an afterthought with an oh so charming wink.

And of course, before she was able to respond, Eve knew how this was going to play out how it usually did, no matter how many years have managed to pass. If there was one thing Annalise was an expert at, it was always, always, reminding Eve that she had her number. Even after all those years… not many things had changed. Annalise's power over Eve was something that overwhelmed and unnerved her, which was probably why Eve spent so much time relishing in the power she held over Annalise in the bedroom. Eve was trying to assert that very same power by rolling Annalise onto her back, but Annalise bore down on Eve, pressing herself against the other woman to cause a pressure that had both of their jaws clenched.

"Ah, ah," Annalise scolded, a smirk tugging at each corner of her mouth, leaning down to press kisses here and there along Eve's collarbone and chest. "We play by my rules now."

It was after noon before Annalise was leaving Eve's apartment. They had spent the better half of the morning in bed then moved to the kitchen where Eve convinced Annalise to stay for a half-clothed breakfast of fresh fruit and coffee before they showered and got ready to jump back into reality. Annalise mentioned that she had some meetings lined up for the afternoon that she would like to be present for, and Eve mentioned her own meetings in the city she had her crew covering for that she should probably attend.

Except that was a lie.

Eve only had one meeting today, scheduled in Philadelphia… and that was with Nate.

When Eve mentioned to Annalise the night before that she hadn't been hung up on their break-up that was a bold-faced lie. And not just one of those cute little white lies someone could tell in good conscience and forget about entirely a few minutes later. Eve found herself thinking about Annalise quite often. Not that she hadn't tried to get over Annalise, because she had tried and she liked to think that she succeeded in moving on the way that most healthy humans do when they experience a break-up. However, she had never been able to fully extinguish the love she held for Annalise, and it showed.

She could vividly remember one of her ex-girlfriends post-coital confessions, in bed and still out of breath after the marathon they'd engaged in instead of making their dinner reservations. Eve reminded her of an abused animal – the ones you can find in any county kennel. Broken and bruised, but still eager to love and to be loved. That analogy always puzzled Eve until it finally dawned on her. She always came running whenever Annalise called, and she always loved her; through all the fights, the years, the distance… she had never really stopped.

"So… what's the deal with you and Annalise again?"

Nate had taken an unhealthy interest in their relationship. Eve knew why. Nate and Annalise's relationship had come to the forefront very early in this circus. It was a hard thing to swallow – knowing Annalise had called her to help the man she had been screwing stay out of prison. Ethics be damned, for all Eve cared, he could rot there.

"Hi, hello," Eve snapped three times right in Nate's face. "I'm trying to have a prep session. My friendship with Annalise isn't relevant to this hearing, or… well, anything else you're so graciously paying me for, so let's try and stay focused, shall we?"

Nate wasn't happy, but he didn't attempt to pursue it any further but instead sat back in his chair with a sigh, folding his arms as he sat beneath the dim lighting that seemed to be regulation in all prisons. He had been pretty tough at first – he didn't trust Eve, and he sure as hell didn't trust the fact that Annalise was the one to give him her number, but Eve was almost willing to bet that Nate was actually beginning to trust her now. What other choice did he have?

"Now that sham Sinclair isn't going to play nice, and I think we both know that. You're not on trial for Sam's murder, you're on trial because they found out you were screwing his wife. Sinclair's going to focus on that and try to convince the judge that this 'crime of passion' is exactly why you shouldn't be released on bail and she's going to play dirty to get you riled up so the judge has no choice but to order a trial. She's going to call your wife in, and she's definitely going to call Annalise in, and she's going to make you out to be a real asshole." Which you are, and if Annalise hadn't asked me to do this I'd prosecute you myself. "But none of that matters, and as long as you keep your head cool, I'll have no problem tearing down her shoddy evidence."

"I understand."

"Do you?" Eve's brows knitted together and she tilted her head. "Because I –"

"Listen – this is not my first time in a courtroom or on the stand." Nate was starting to get frustrated, as shown through his raised voice. Must be one of his short fuse days. "My life is on the line here. My life, my reputation, my career, my everything. Now don't you sit here actin' like I don't understand that. I can handle myself."

"Where were you the night of the twenty-second?"

"What?"

"The night Sam Keating was murdered, Mr. Leahy. Where were you? It's a simple question," Eve rose from her seat, the sound of papers rustling as she flipped her notepad expertly to the correct page. "Oh, that's right. You claim to have been at home. And do you have anyone to corroborate your story?" She looked up, eyes narrowing as she gave that condescending grin criminal attorneys were so privy to. "Ah, that's right. You were with Annalise Keating. The victim's wife. Now, tell me Mr. Leahy, just what were the two of you doing together? Why don't you go ahead and walk me through how you claim the events of that night unfolded."

It seemed as though Nate was finally getting to what Eve was doing and leaned forward in his chair as he got ready to play along.

"I was at home. Alone. Annalise showed up at my house. She expressed to me some fears that Sam might have fled after they had a confrontation. She was upset. And –"

"And you slept with the woman you had been having an affair with – behind the back of your ailing wife – to create an alibi for her, isn't that right? Admit it. The two of you conspired to kill Mr. Keating together. You wouldn't have to worry about your wife, right? The cancer would take care of that for you."

"ENOUGH."

Nate's fists hit the table, he was out of his chair, and the guards were in the room before Eve had a chance to react.

"I'm fine. He's fine. We're through." Eve's eyes never left Nate as the guards prepared him for transfer from the room back into the main part of the jail. He had kept his cool so well. It made Eve a little nervous for whatever might happen tomorrow. If he was able to remain so composed while boiling over on the inside, her client was like a loaded gun, and she was going to stand in front of a judge tomorrow and play Russian roulette.

"You have twenty-four hours to learn how to handle yourself, Mr. Leahy. I suggest you think long and hard about how you'd like to spend the next few years. And clean yourself up. You look like shit."

Once she was cleared and back in her car, Eve felt like she could finally breathe again.

Truth be told, she hated him. Eve despised Nate. If she were being completely and totally honest, Eve despised anyone who had the privilege of touching or loving Annalise from the day they had broken up until this very moment.

It was a hard truth to swallow, but it was time Eve came to terms with what was going on – with what had been going on for how many years now? A part of her – a very large part of her – was still in love with Annalise. Why else would she come running like a well-trained pet each time she called?

Annalise Keating was like a parasite. She had gotten inside of Eve from the moment they'd met – latched on comfortably – and ever since then she had continued to feed off of Eve whenever it was convenient for her. And Eve let her. Every single time.

She had tried. Eve tried so hard to move on from Annalise, and as the years went by she thought she had. She would still think of her often, but Eve had always thought of it to be something more akin to a longing for the days that seemed so better now, and Annalise had just happened to be a part of it. But how could she deny what was staring her in the face any longer when she agreed to defend Annalise's boyfriend – who she had framed for the murder of her husband in order to protect the true killer? There was only one thing in the world that could make anyone crazy enough to do this, and it was love.

Eve loved her.

Last night when Annalise had told her that she was sorry and that she missed her, those words felt so good. Call it foolish, but Eve believed her.

And this time, she wasn't going to let Annalise run away.