It was the ending to the full year, and Serena couldn't believe all it had entailed- for both her and Bernie. The hospital had seen dark days, with half the building being crushed by a helicopter and threatening the lives of many staff in other varying situations. Casting her mind back to Fletch on the operating table made her shudder, as she sat on the edge of the bed. A smile crept onto her lips, thinking of the bittersweet moment. Fletch could have died and the consequences of losing such a wonderful man were unavoidable to think about, but she filled with warmth reminiscing on the spontaneous kiss Bernie had sprung on her in an emotional display afterwards- and she had kissed back. How things had changed since then: a recovered Fletcher, a runaway trip to Kiev and countless kisses later, she cast her gaze down to Bernie, snuggled into the other side of the bed. As if the look could be felt, a drowsy Bernie began to stir and Serena climbed over to her.
"Morning, Major." Serena gently whispered.
Bernie eventually opened her eyes after a slow stretch, smiling back.
"Good Morning," she sat up gradually, as Serena sat back against her.
"Why are you up already?" She asked quizzically.
"Well, like the idiot I am, I forgot we were off today. So, realising it had been snowing, I panicked and deiced the car, so I'm bloody freezing now!"
Bernie's eyes lit, as she pushed out of the bed to the window, "Snowing?"
Serena huffed, lying further back, now she'd lost her support.
"Oh, charming! Nothing like the warm affection of your partner to set away that chill." Serena sarcastically remarked, before walking up behind Bernie, still gazing out of the window, and wrapping her tightly from behind.
When there was little in the way of a reply, usually a retort volleyed back in jest at similar comments, Serena looked up from the view to Bernie, watching her capturing the scene out of the window. The skies were one whole layer of deep cloud, but the scene below made up for the dreary outlook above them. The tops of the lower houses were coated white and the trees following the path down the hill were sprinkled white too. Few cars had already left for the day, leaving bold, black rectangles of free tarmac against the greying sludge in the centre of the road itself. Pavements retained a great deal of the perfected, plump snow but was disturbed by the odd trail of a venturing cat or early riser. In the distance, the scene fell to a much more natural, stereotypically snowy scene. The thick woods painted a view of irregular trees, patterned with bare branches and vibrant evergreens, but all sharing the dusting of white sparkle that made the view more delicate. The church in the dip between the hill and the woodland took the same casting of chilly decoration and the festive star on top twinkled in the brightness of the day.
"Ms Wolfe, you seem totally memorised?" Serena had never seen someone- let alone Bernie- so enamoured with the frosty conditions.
"It's just so beautiful," she finally replied "And look!" She pointed across to the backdrop of the woods that fell behind the village further away. The evergreens that stood like a blur of Christmas trees last night were now dusted with the winter snow. It's not that Serena didn't value it- the view was beautiful and she knew that- but it had become such a general part of her life, it had lost it's day-to-day novelty, until now.
"Well, maybe we could go for a walk later?" Serena suggested, looking up to Bernie's wide eyes, wild with excitement, who smiled, grateful for the simple gesture. "Only if I get to wear my hat..." Bernie laughed, before turning from the view to Serena and holding her in her own embrace.
--
Since rising, the sun had burnt off the majority of damp cloud and left a glorious sparkle to the icy puddles and glisten to the frost. Serena pulled her notoriously fluffy hat down further onto her head and snuggled into Bernie's arm as they continued down the quiet lane leading to the woods that had been the picturesque view from their bedroom.
"I take it back, it's bloody freezing." Serena looked down to the sludge in the gutters of the tarmac, regretting the earlier suggestion of venturing outside.
"What? Even with that...delightful hat?" Bernie laughed, briefly letting go of her partner to push the gate to the woodland open. and letting Serena through before following behind her.
"Watch it, Major," Serena glared back, as Bernie shut the gate a chuckled, wrapping her arm around her waist and they continued to climb the incline in unison.
"Pretty, isn't it?" Bernie looked up to the sky and smiled. "Being away so often, I never really got the chance to enjoy a full, white Christmas. And it was never as comfortable, because me and Marcus had fell apart a LONG time ago..." She drifted, realising Serena had stopped them both in their tracks and looked up to her.
"I love you, Ms Wolfe." She stated simply, pulling Bernie in closer.
"Sorry," Bernie lightly kissed her cheek. "I love you too."
Taking Bernie's hand, Serena pulled them along, guiding them both along the frosty path, through the thick trees, where everything seemed secluded and lifelessly silent.
Bernie gazed to Serena and laughed lightly, although too much not to go unnoticed.
"What?" She frowned, gazing up.
"Nothing, just-" Bernie stopped, choosing her words carefully. "How long have you had that hat?" She smirked.
Serena sighed, looking up to the amusement shining in her girlfriend's eyes.
"Why?" She avoided the question, more curious for the reasons behind it.
"And you wear it to work?" Bernie began with the rhetorical question. "And you're joint lead of AAU, you were deputy CEO, you're a figure of authority..." Serena looked at the blonde quizzically, as they continued walking slowly down the slight hill. "But how can anyone take your seriously?!" She chortled, as an expression of challenge looked her in the eye.
"I'll have you know I can be very scary, thank you Ms Wolfe. You just haven't seen it yet." Serena smugly volleyed back.
"I'll have to warn Mrs Beauchamp then." Bernie smiled, playfully pushing into Serena's side, watching her topple slightly and lose balance into the deep snow of the bank. She placed out a hand for support, not moving for a moment, as Bernie took a step forward.
"You're going to pay for that, Major." She swiped around, pushing the snow she had slyly gathered into her face, giggling louder when Bernie pulled an expression resembling someone who'd been slapped, before legging it in the other direction as the army medic chased after her.