Serena finished the last of the Shiraz in her glass and placed it back down on her coffee table. It had been a long and tiring day at work. The evening hadn't gone much better. She had been twenty minutes late home and consequently that meant the lasagne was on the table ten minutes late. This had caused Jason to have a minor melt down.
After some serious cajoling she had settled him and they had ate a lukewarm meal. Part of her apologies had included an agreement to watch a movie of his choice with him. Serena knew she was letting herself in for two hours of torture because her nephew loved musicals and would always chose them given the option. It was one of the reasons she was usually happier suffering through hours of quiz shows and documentaries. They were the lesser of two evils.
After an hour and three quarters of watching Donnie Osmond strut about in Joseph and his Technicolor Dream Coat Serena was ready to scream. Thankfully the credits began to role before her irritation overtook her. Jason was instantly on his feet; his nightly routine was like clockwork. The food was on the table at seven thirty, movie or TV at eight and bed at ten.
"Good night Auntie Serena" her nephew declared.
"Night Jason" she replied.
He smiled at her and lingered for a few seconds. He'd been doing that a lot recently. Serena knew he could tell something was up with her, maybe he even knew what was wrong…he just didn't know what to say or do to make her feel better. So after hovering in the doorway briefly he turned and went upstairs. It would be the last she would see of him until morning.
As soon as he was out of sight Serena poured the last of the bottle of wine in to her glass. Jason didn't like her drinking excessively so she has limited herself when he was awake. She had polished of the best part of the bottle every night for the past three weeks. As far as coping mechanisms go it was a poor one. She had no idea what else to do though. What was one meant to do when their heart had been broken?
She could bloody kill Hansen for offering Bernie the secondment to Ukraine. Not that he knew anything about the 'undeniable sexual chemistry' between her and the blonde trauma surgeon but it was still bloody inconsiderate. Not that there had been much sexual chemistry since their first kiss in the operating theatre. There had just been a whole lot of fear and confusion on her part. Then as she had started to make sense of it all Bernie had decided that kissing her had freaked her out and confined their 'relationship' to the workplace. Weeks of longing followed until Serena reached the point where she couldn't stand it anymore. She had made her move and kissed the blonde only to find out she had accepted an offer of work in Ukraine.
Apparently it had all become too much for Bernie too and she had decided that putting thousands of miles between her and her feelings was the best course of action. Serena should have guessed Bernie was a runner. She wished now that she had faced her feelings head on but instead she had left it all too late. The last time she had seen or spoken to the blonde was when Bernie left after her last shift at Holby City. They had kissed in the office, Bernie had told Serena she was leaving and fled. The brunette had chased Bernie down and pleaded with her in the pit in front of other hospital staff. The trauma surgeon had walked away.
The irony was that Serena had tried to hide from her feelings because she feared the hospital rumour mill. After her display that night she was the main topic no doubt. It hadn't helped that Robbie had turned up two weeks later, trying to woo her back. It had been tempting for a fleeting moment. He would have been a useful distraction, somewhere to bury her pain. Instead she had pulled away and pushed him aside. Serena Campbell…heartbreaker. Yes the hospital gossips must be having a field day on the material she was providing them with.
It wouldn't have been fair on Robbie and shed have been lying to herself. At some point she had fallen hopelessly in love with Bernie Wolfe. Until she stopped being hopelessly in love then there was nothing to do but follow her normal daily routine and drink excessive amounts of wine. At least over the course of the last week Jason had stopped mentioning Bernie so she got some reprieve at home. There never seemed to be any reprieve at work where every nuck and cranny reminded her of the other woman.
Serena rose to her feet, picking the glass up and knocking back its contents in one swift go. She had every intention of going to bed and trying to distract herself with a bit of reading. She turned off the light in the living room and stepped into the hallway. Just as she reached the first stair there was a light tap on the front door. It was so light that she thought she must have imagined it, after all, who an earth would call in at this time of night. Just a few seconds later there was a louder knock and this time she knew she wasn't imagining it. Serena could see a silhouette in the glass panes of the door but it was too dark to make out any detail.
She approached the door carefully. It really was odd for someone to call at this time and it made her weary. So when she reached the door Serena only partly opened it, peering out in to the faint sensor light that hung above the porch. She nearly fainted when she saw who was stood there.
"Bernie" she gasped.
The blonde was stood rigidly, like a soldier, two foot away from the door. She was wearing a long black coat over what looked to be black jeans and had a large holdall in her hand. It looked like the other woman had only just got off the plane. She opened the door slightly wider but didn't join the blonde on the porch.
"Serena" Bernie rasped.
Bernie was obviously apprehensive. Her eyes darted all over the place, unable to look at Serena for long before glancing away again. Serena on the other hand couldn't keep her eyes of Bernie. She looked fantastic albeit a little dishevelled. Her blonde hair was messy, like Bernie had been nervously running her hands through it. The collar of her jacket was half turned down and half turned up. Serena thought she looked divine regardless. Silence lingered between them as they observed each other.
"I'm sorry" Bernie suddenly blurted out.
Once the blonde had managed two words, others poured out in quick nervous succession.
"I told you to stop when you asked to meet me half way…but then I was out there and all I could think of was you and that bloody kiss."
The blonde paused and took a deep breath and Serena felt her own eyebrows shoot up at Bernie's words. It was hardly the most romantic speech she had ever heard but then she wouldn't have expected anything less from an army Major. Serena still couldn't get her head around the fact that Bernie was even there on her doorstep.
"The only place I wanted to be was all the way back here with you; no half measures required" Bernie finished. The trauma surgeon shifted nervously and glanced down, waiting for a response.
The last part of the speech was actually far more traditionally romantic than Serena had expected. All it was lacking was an outright declaration of love but it held all the sentiment. It didn't stop Serena feeling hurt and angry with Bernie for leaving in the first place. There was an overwhelming feeling of relief and dare she say joy at the blonde's return too. It was awfully conflicting so she measured her response carefully.
"You should probably get off my doorstep" Serena flatly stated.
Bernie finally looked up from the floor and directly at her. There was hurt in the blonde's eyes but also understanding. Apparently she had expected rejection but had flown back from Eastern Europe to declare her feelings regardless.
"Okay" the blonde agreed; her voice catching in her throat like she might choke on it.
The blonde backed away slowly under Serena's watchful gaze. Serena could faintly see a tear roll down the other woman's cheek in the dim light. It was instantly enough to stop the charade she was playing.
"Bernie" she called out, causing the other woman to halt her retreat. "Not that way."
The blonde looked at her with a great deal of confusion.
"This way" Serena gestured towards herself, throwing the door open much wider.
Dawning flashed across the blonde's features and within two swift strides the taller woman was in the doorway with Serena. The holdall was still grasped in one hand but the other reached for her, grasping the lapel of her shirt and pulling them flush together. Serena had no idea who leant in first or if it was a mutual movement but their lips crashed together in a desperate union.
Bernie's hand released her shirt and slid up, cupping the back of her head. The kiss was intense and all consuming. Serena had never been kissed like that before, like it was all that mattered, like the world would collapse if they stopped. The blonde backed them up, giving herself room to deftly shut the front door with her foot. The holdall made a heavy thud as it was dropped to the ground. Then Serena found herself backed against the cool wall of the hall.
They broke apart for air but Bernie didn't move an inch backwards, leaving them pressed completely against each other's fronts. The blonde leant back in and kissed her slower, tracing her lips with a silky tongue. Serena felt like she was floating and the night had barely begun.
"All that stuff I said" Bernie explained as they broke apart again. "I was trying to tell you that I love you."
"I know that you idiot" Serena chuckled. "I love you too but you do have three weeks of heartbreak to make up for."
Bernie looked at her with a mixture of guilt and hope. The blonde's hands rested against Serena's cheeks and her thumbs stroked against the sensitive skin there.
"Now?" Bernie asked. Her voice had dropped deeper with desire and Serena nearly melted in her arms.
"Now" the brunette confirmed.
Bernie's eyes lit up and before Serena could say anything more the blonde pulled her in to the nearest room and towards the nearest surface. The sofa that she had been sat on just five minutes before pining for the woman who was now peeling clothing off.