Chapter 1

"Bloody Hell" Bernice whispered for the tenth time since Serena had handed the piece of paper she was currently holding for dear life in her hand.

All staff at Holby had just gone through there yearly check-ups mandated by the board to ensure there were fit and well. It was annoyance for all the staff but one of the things that had to be done when you worked in a medical setting. She normally wouldn't had though anything of it, she had been qualified long enough to know it was one of those things you grinned and bared with. A blood draw, some other tests and then you forgot about it to the next year. It wasn't meant to be for her this.

"Serena" Bernie said dragging her eyes up from this paper, over to the brunette woman who sitting opposite her. Her voice cracking slightly on the last syllable of Serena's name. "This can't be right; I'm 51 years old for gods sake. I thought I had stated the menopause. I've not had a period in months."

Bernie's life has been rocked by one line on this test results in front of her. Icon:Positive. She was 51 and according to these results pregnant for the third time.

"It seems like it is. I hovered over a lab tech and got them re-test your sample in front of me." Serena replied to the blonde. She could see the shock etched over her face, there intimate relationship was still new but she could read her like a book already.

The was only one way that she could of ended up in this state, and Serena didn't want to ask her so forthright but she needed to. She had a possible idea of who the father was but she couldn't just presume. During the early days of there friendship; Bernie and her had talked a lot about Bernie's relationship with Marcus especially after divorce proceedings had start. From what she had gathered from these conversations it seemed like there relationship was no longer intimate.

"Once. I slept with him once!" Serena's breathed a sigh of relief almost. Bernie has broached the elephant in the room first.

"What?" She replied back to Bernie, watching the blonde drop her head into her hands. Bernie had still not given her name

"Marcus. I slept with him once. What with my injuries from the IED and Alex's reappearance just before I realised I couldn't carry on with the pretence of my marriage. We would only physical once" Serena and Bernie had had long conversations about the nature of both of there sexuality's. For Serena it was not clear cut, and as for Bernie; whilst she enjoyed the company of woman in the sexual sense more she had enjoyed relationships with other Men as well as Marcus in the past. The strain in the marriage starting really from her career in the army taken a way from home for years at a time. And ending when she realised that she had to do what made her happy. "That was six months ago and I have not had a period for at least 5 months before that. I thought the menopause had started. I didn't think to take any precautions, I thought it would be impossible, I didn't think."

Bernie couldn't help thinking that if this has happened a few years early it wouldn't of been an issue. On the rare occasion's she slept with Marcus during the last years of there marriage they didn't bother with condoms. They had been married so long there seemed no point and it would of sent the wrong message to him. At the point he still thought she was his loving wife who would never cheat. And anyway like most female soldiers she took the pill to better help control there cycle whilst they were out on active duty. And also to protect them in case the worse happened. Nobody wanted to say the word rape out loud but the though was always in the back of there mind. She stopped taking her pills three months before that fateful day on what was now her last tour. She hadn't had a period for two months despite taking the placebo pills in the pack as she should to ensure it happened, so she made the most logical presumption for her age. Menopause.

Serena was confused, she knew from Bernie's medical history that had been prescribed oral contraceptives and Bernie had even mentioned she had. Serena had read an article in one of the Sunday supplements of The Guardian about the high level of oral contraceptive prescriptions that were written for women in the armed forces . She had queried it with Bernie who had confirmed the fact that the article was speaking the truth but also had casually mentioned that she had taken them herself whilst she was out serving.

"No Precautions?" She queried trying to keep her tone light. "I believe you told me that you were on the pill, that you found in easier to manage your menstrual cycle especially when you on active service"

Bernie pulled her head up, her eye's looking directly into Serena's where she could see the confusion and worry that she felt mirrored. Things had only just settled between them, they were comfortable in there new found relationship. Her kids were happy for her and excepting of it, and despite early troubles with Eleanor she was slowly coming around to the concept. This whole messy situation could end up destroying what they had.

"I was. For years. I stopped during my last tour. I was certain that I had started the menopause and decided to come off them. Foolish idea now it seems."

Serena knew what Bernie meant by that. They both knew that whilst menopause was occurring that periods could occur irregularly compared to a normal cycle but they could still happen.

"But what are the odds, The first time I have sex in months, I ovulate and get pregnant. I'm so sorry Serena"

Serena stood up and quickly walked around the two desks separating them. Kneeling in front of her and grabbing her hand. Rubbing her right thumb across the top of it. She watched Bernie's other unconsciously fall down to her stomach.

"You have nothing to be sorry about darling. I'm here for you. I'm all in remember what ever comes."

Bernie moved her head to look down

"You said that before this little surprise happened. You never expected your partner to be seemingly pregnant with her ex husbands baby. You don't want to be tied down to a geriatric mother to be"

Serena sighed. She could sense that Bernie was looking to start running.

"I'm here. I am not going anyway. And you no more geriatric than I am. Maybe a bit long in the tooth to be pregnant but you are still as sexy as anything." She pecked lightly on Bernies hand.

"But one thing darling how could you not notice."

Bernie smiled slightly. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, marvelling at the woman in front of her. Most people would of run a mile.

"I didn't really show with Cameron and Charlotte until I was very late into both of the pregnancy's, rarely suffered with morning sickness and it seems to be the case with this one. Any kicks I've felt so far with this one I must of shrugged of and I guess it's not much of a mover" Bernie has remarked recently that she had put some weight on, but they had both put it down to her not having such an active lifestyle any more and the contentment of happy relationship.

Serena could see some concern in Bernie's eyes after she spoke those words.

They both knew that the baby Bernie was carrying should be a lot more active than what Bernie has described but it still could be okay. Of course they still had to get the pregnancy officially confirmed and most importantly try and work out a due date if she was. Something which would not be easy to do if as Bernie has attested to she had not had a regular period in such a long time.

"Darling, all we have got so far is some test results. You need to get an ultrasound to confirm and we need to really think about you prenatal care, if you have been pregnant all this time we need to make certain everything is okay.

"I known Fraulien" Bernie said back trying to somewhat lighten the mood. " Just lets not do it here, the jungle drums will definitely be beating if get it done her. I need to let it sink in first. My gynaecologist is based at St James but I am not sure I want to go there just in case. He can't find out that way" St James was the hospital were Marcus worked, and like most hospitals it wouldn't take that long for the gossip mill to reach Marcus that she had been there and where she had been. He wouldn't jump to the thought of a pregnancy being the reason but it would probably lead to a few queries.

" Don't worry. I have a friend who runs a private clinic. We can go there and get everything confirmed."

Serena and Bernie both looked deep into each others eyes after Serena has stopped speaking. Both knowing that the ultrasound Bernie needed would change things maybe forever. They both knew she was to far gone to even consider a termination, as she had stated it had been 6 months since she had last been intimate in that manner. And anyway Serena believed that she knew Bernie well enough to know that she wasn't the type to terminate a pregnancy despite how it occurred. She knew that Bernie's relationship with two children had been rocky for a long while. But the relationship has improved so much recently. Especially over Christmas

A/N: Thank You all for taking the time to read this. It is been a long while since I have written anything for any fandom but have been inspired by the other Holby Fics on this site and by Bernie and Serena's relationship as it has played out during the show.