"I thought for certain she'd-" Bernie holds onto her girlfriend as they rest in bed, face at her shoulder as the other woman reads a novel with a simple book light clipped onto it, "I mean...if she recognized anything, or anyone, her face was completely blank...the entire time."

Serena casually reaches a hand to the woman's arm across her abdomen, stroking her wrist lazily, "Please, love, don't let it bother you. I consulted Roxanne earlier in the day and she said, for some patients with a brain trauma, it can take months for them to even recognize family members...and sometimes, they aren't able to even do that."

The blond nods a little, "I remember when she didn't recognize Marcus." She smirks ever so slightly to herself, "Those were the days." She hears her partner chuckle softly, "In all seriousness though, I'm impressed with how far we've all come and I know it wouldn't have been possible...or even conceivable in the least if it weren't for her."

"Very true." She reaches up to flip a page, reclipping the light to her newest section before returning her hand to where it was previously. "Are you okay with that?" She waits for a response, upon hearing none, she clarifies herself, "Okay with Marcus being a part of your life again?"

"He's the father of my children. We'll be tied together until the day he dies...because I refuse to let him outlive me." Bernie smirks a little, amused with herself, "he's also just been very...understanding with how Charlotte is now. That she isn't the person she was previously, she isn't a Daddy's Girl anymore."

"No, she is not." Serena grins a bit to herself, "Definitely her mother's daughter." She flips another page, again adjusting the light, "Stubborn and persistent."

"Oh, am I?" The blonde raises an eyebrow, leaning her head up to softly kiss just under Serena's ear, knowing it drives the woman wild. "Please, tell me just how stubborn and persistent I am." Another kiss at the woman's neck.

"I'm reading, Bernie." Serena glances over toward her a moment, capturing the woman's lips with her own. "Let me finish the chapter."

"That's not romantic at all. Where's your sense of adventure, Campbell?" Bernie pecks the other woman's lips again, finally pausing when she hears loud music suddenly play in their room, nearly causing her to jump. "I deserved that." She mumbles to herself, telling the AI to stop playing. "I'll go and see what she needs."

"Serves you right." The silver haired woman mumbles before receiving a pillow over top of her book as her partner jogs from the room.

Bernie quickly moves to the hall, and to her daughter's bedroom, pushing the door open quickly. She finds the bed bare, causing her to furrow her brow. She then checks the toilet, again it is empty. At this point, she starts to panic. Bernie begins to check in each room on the floor before jogging down the stairs, only to see a glow coming from the lounge. She stands in the doorway, catching her breath, "Charlotte."

Charlie glances over lazily, "You okay?"

"The sound system can relay messages as well, you know." She folds her arms, "Like where in the house you're located so your mother doesn't frantically race around in an attempt to find you." The blonde moves over to the sofa, taking a seat next to her daughter. "What did you need?"

"Company." She notices the look her mother is giving her, "This man called me earlier today and I, literally, have no idea who he is." Charlotte motions to a photo on the television, "I was focused on food...and Serena giving me the nightly dose of medication that...I didn't even notice." She shakes her head.

Bernie glances up, noticing it as Xavier Duval. "How do you know it was him who called you?"

"He rang my old mobile. New one has a different number." Charlie licks her lips, going to another picture, "Because here we are again...not at the pub."

"But Serena had taken all the photographs from-"

"Not contact pictures." She shakes her head, "they're stored deep within the memory of the mobile. A mobile today has five times the processing speed and power as computers made even a few years ago...not to mention the storage. I remember attempting to explain what a floppy disk was to my students back in the day." She motions to another photo, "Anyway, there was one for him. Just like there were ones for you and Dad...and even Cam, but that one...is just a picture of him passed out with a willy drawn on his face." She huffs her amusement, "I checked."

"So, you would have known this young man well enough to render his contact information be in your mobile." Bernie deduces, "and for yours to be in his if he was able to contact you without my giving him your contact." She pauses, "What photo did you have for me?"

"The one where you're holding me as you're standing in the window. I think I was a month old at most."

She knows what the young woman is referring to, causing her to nod, "You were only a week old. You...refused to sleep at night. Luckily, I wasn't set to go back on duty just yet, so...we'd spend the nights together...and the days. You'd light up when your Dad came home, but at night...we'd talk the night away." Bernie smiles a little at the memory, "And your father captured that picture as the sun was rising." She motions to a framed version of it on the bookcase surrounding the television, "It always meant a great deal to me as well."

Charlotte nods a little, the story nearly causing a tear to form in her eye. She finds herself leaning against the woman a bit, "What happened though?" When she realizes her mother probably doesn't know what she's talking about, she continues, "What happened that caused me to be so angry? What caused me to cut myself off from everyone? Did something happen?"

"Life happened, Char." Bernie softly kisses the top of her daughter's head as she wraps an arm around her shoulders. "However, life is like a river...paddling down a river. Smooth and beautiful, but...at some point, you're going to encounter rocks beneath the surface that cause that ride to turn treacherous. No one's fault, of course. It's just what it is." She takes a deep breath, "It's taken me...a long time to figure that out for myself. After years of blaming myself...it's no one's fault. There is no cause. It's just what it is. You included." She glances down, noticing the girl growing more groggy. "How were you able to get into Serena's laptop? It's password protected."

"My memory might be shit, but...I'm observant. She's also a slow typist and I watched as she filled it in." Charlie hears an impressed hum from her mother as the two of them start to fall asleep more. They are both far too comfortable to move even slightly, simply falling asleep in one another's arms.