AN: I haven't forgotten this story, I just got side-tracked by other things, it's mostly planned now up until the end (I know now when the end is, thinking about a brief sequel but I'm getting ahead of myself), just needs writing.
We've still got a few chapters to go, I may reference thing from the show which happened at various points but I will quite possibly ignore the time line so if something isn't quite right chronologically, that's fine – it's probably deliberate.
Just a quick refresh – Serena has just been walloped by a previously alcoholic patient who had received a liver transplant but has been readmitted into Holby General. Adrienne also wanted to meet Hanssen so she's finally gotten him to come over for dinner.
Chapter 25.
Serena meets Hanssen outside her house, their cars parked next to one another and she shivers lightly in the cool evening as she waits for the Swede to get out of his car and make his way over to her; he's taking his time in his car but Serena doesn't give any indication of impatience – the fact he's made it this far is an achievement in itself.
"Are you sure about this?" Serena reflexively asks as Hanssen eventually draws up next to her, one hand on her front gate. To say that Hanssen had been cautious about meeting Adrienne would be an understatement – the man had as good as vanished off the face of the earth, apparently knowing what Serena wanted to ask him every time she tried to look for him.
"I have no basis for comparison but I dare say the experience shall not prove fatal." Serena leads Hanssen a few paces up the short path to the front door.
"You'll be fine," she reassures him. "Just be your usual, sociable and optimistic self and what could possibly go wrong?" She hears Hanssen snort quietly in response to her quip as she inserts the key into the lock, opening the door and stepping into the hall.
"You just missed Ellie, she and-" Serena closes her eyes briefly – she had hoped to avoid Adrienne until she had had an opportunity to put some make up back on but apparently the odds aren't in her favour today. "What on Earth happened to you?" Serena can't help but feel that it's just her luck that her mother is making her way down the stairs just as she and Hanssen step through the front door and into the hall.
"Serena, what on Earth happened?" Adrienne asks again, one hand on the banister as she treads her way carefully but determinedly to the bottom step so that she is an equal height to Serena.
"I'm fine, Mum." Serena attempts to brush Adrienne's questions off but her mother is having none of it.
"That wasn't what I asked." Adrienne tells her in a tone similar to one Serena uses when her junior doctors do something idiotic. "And you always say you're fine, it's a load of rubbish." Serena huffs but wanting to get Adrienne's inevitable interrogation over with, concedes defeat.
"It's exactly what it looks like," Serena answers, spotting Adrienne's gaze flicker briefly to Hanssen somewhere over her shoulder. "And before you ask, no, it wasn't Henrik that did this to me – it was a patient." Serena watches Adrienne relax fractionally and she makes a mental note to speak to her mother at some point to discuss quite what Adrienne thinks Serena would put up with in a relationship.
"Hello dear." Adrienne, apparently appeased by Serena's clarification greets Hanssen for the first time and and Serena hears him return a greeting, his familiar cadence reassuring and she is glad he is there with her.
"A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. McKinnie." Serena can't detect any of the unease she knows Hanssen is feeling and is simultaneously impressed and concerned by the ease at which the Swede can erect his masks.
"Adrienne." She immediately corrects Hanssen and Serena sees him nod politely in response out of the corner of her eye but he makes no move to use the offered address. Serena can't help but wonder how long before Hanssen's inclination towards formality is forced to give up in the face of Adrienne's determination to ignore it, in favour of familiarity.
"Chantelle was here earlier," Adrienne turns to Serena once they are in the kitchen and repeats her message from earlier about Eleanor. "Along with another girl with dark hair..."
"Gabby." Serena supplies, stepping over to peer at whatever it is in the sink which has caught her attention.
"Are you staying for dinner, Henrik?" Serena hears her mother ask
"I've been told that I am." Hanssen replies in a deadpan tone, causing Serena to turn and frown at the Swede out of the corner of her eye and he meets her gaze with an innocent expression.
"A wise choice, dear." Adrienne stage whispers just as Serena works out what is defrosting in her sink. "Oh, Rena – I got some salmon out, thought we might have that tonight. I think there's enough for three."
The three of them remain in the kitchen as Serena throws something easy together for dinner; food has been another source of concern regarding her mother's stay with her. In an attempt to avoid any conflict or misunderstandings, Serena often feels like she is trying to perform a balancing act between having a variety of meals yet still provide food that Adrienne can comfortably eat without being patronising about the stroke or give any indication that anything is unduly different.
For the most part, she's succeeded, there have been one or two failures but as Adrienne's co-ordination and strength improves, mealtimes are becoming less fraught.
Dinner itself went smoothly, the conversation rarely straying from Adrienne's recovery from her stroke. Hanssen showed a level of awareness about stroke recovery in general and her mother's case in particular that Serena is certain isn't a coincidence.
As Serena listens to him talk, spearing part of a new potato onto her fork, she muses that she isn't in love with the Swede but in the sanctuary and privacy of her own mind, Serena admits that it probably wouldn't take much now for that to happen.
'And wouldn't that complicate things six ways from Sunday', she meets his gaze and offers a small smile which he returns.
The subject of the bruising on her face isn't mentioned and Serena pretends to be unaware of the looks Adrienne and Hanssen keep shooting her when they think she isn't looking. It wasn't until she was cleaning up after the meal that Serena realised Hanssen's surprisingly talkative approach at dinner kept Adrienne far too busy answering questions to ask any of her own and she can't help but smirk at the Swede's tactic.
Serena is aware of Hanssen stood near her, hovering uncertainly as she stacks the dishwasher after dinner has finished and she turns to him once she is done.
"Thank you." She offers him a small smile and although he doesn't return it, she does get the impression that he is a little more relaxed.
"For?"
"This. Tonight. Today."
She isn't usually this needy but for some reason, today's events have shaken her and Hanssen's calming presence is like a balm on her agitation. She takes a couple of steps towards him, intent on stealing a kiss or two from him, Hanssen is getting better at reading her and the smile tugging at his lips suggests that he knows what she's doing.
"Don't mind me." Serena hears her mother's voice from the doorway and she and Hanssen automatically step apart, almost guiltily. But Serena is determined not to be embarrassed, she's nearly 50 and this is her house. She deliberately meets Adrienne's amused gaze and refuses to regress into the role of a teenager who has been caught smuggling her boyfriend into the house. "I only came in for a glass of water before I go to bed. Don't stay up too late."
"I'm 48, I can stay up as late as I want." Serena knows her slightly petulant response makes her sound anything but 48.
"You've always known best, Rena." Adrienne answers, almost patronisingly before turning to Hanssen who is looking inscrutable for the most part except for the small twitches of his fingers at his side, something that Serena figures no-one else would work out. "A pleasure to meet you, Henrik. I dare say I'll see you in the morning, sleep well." There are times when Serena wishes her mother's speech therapy wasn't as advanced and she stares at the wall until Adrienne leaves the room.
Serena waits until she hears her mother's shuffling gait heading upstairs before she speaks.
"Sorry about that," Serena apologises and Hanssen offers a half-shrug in response, apparently unconcerned, much to Serena's relief. "Give me a minute to see if she's ok and I'll be back; it's a bit like having a toddler back in the house at times." Hanssen nods and Serena heads upstairs to check on Adrienne.
Having been told off for fussing, Serena leaves Adrienne's room and out of habit, turns right on the landing, heading into her own room before she remembers that she was meant to go back downstairs to Hanssen. She turns to leave but her attention is caught by her reflection in the mirror – the discolouration on one side of her face starting to come out. Serena stares at her face in the mirror; the mark isn't as dark as she'd feared but it will still be far too noticeable for a few days yet.
Serena has no idea how long she's been stood, rooted to the spot but she's suddenly aware that Hanssen is in the room with her. "It's getting late, I should call it a night."
Serena turns, forcing a brittle smile onto her face which doesn't appear to fool her Swede for a moment and he silently regards her for a moment, stood at the doorway before he steps inside, depositing his briefcase just inside the door. He draws her into another embrace, almost identical to the one earlier in the AAU office.
"If you will insist on diving into the middle of the action, Ms. Campbell..." Hanssen gently offers, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head and she is unable to determine why it's bothering her so much.
"It wasn't my fault." Serena protests quietly, resting the uninjured side of her face against his chest, closing her eyes for a few moments as his steady heart rate soothes her.
"Yet trouble seems to follow you."
"Something like that." Serena mumbles into Hanssen's chest and she can feel his abdominal muscles contract partially as he exhales in restrained amusement. "Well, you know me."
"Indeed; I am not certain that there has been a dull moment since I met you." A few months ago, Serena would have been offended at his words, determined that the Swede is insulting her. Then again, a few months ago, Serena wouldn't have been stood in his arms in her bedroom, contemplating quite what she's about to do next.
"Stay tonight."
There's a pause.
"Your daughter-"
"Isn't here and she'll be in no state to notice anything when she gets in and there's little danger of her getting up this side of midday." Serena is all too aware that her daughter's willpower is curiously absent when alcohol is involved and despite Chantelle's best intentions, Eleanor will almost certainly be worse for wear come the morning but for once she isn't as bothered about it as she might be. "Please."
Serena spots Hanssen's resolve beginning to waver and when he offers no protest as Serena deftly undoes his tie and the first few buttons of his shirt, she has a pretty good idea that he is going to be staying.
Serena is woken by her neighbour getting into his car and apparently trying to make as much noise as he can before driving off; it's still half-dark and she lies with her eyes closed, trying to guess the time. Judging by the level of light filtering into the room it's still early and a bleary glance at the alarm clock tells her it's too early to worry about having to get up and get ready for work.
The bed is warmer than usual and Serena instinctively turns towards the warmth, towards the Hanssen shaped lump in her bed. She cracks open an eye, Hanssen is flat on his back, hands resting across his chest and she smirks – it doesn't help disprove the rumours about him being Dracula.
She presses an attempt at a kiss to Hanssen's shoulder, Serena had been aiming for collarbone but couldn't quite bring herself to move that far – she's too comfortable at the moment. Hanssen mutters something unintelligible in response, it's either in Swedish or he's just mumbling in his sleep. Either way, Serena doesn't have a clue what he's saying but he seems relaxed enough about whatever he's dreaming.
She is content to watch him sleep, his expression unguarded – he looks younger, less troubled and worn – they have a little time before the alarm is due to go off and closing her eyes, she drifts back off to sleep.
The kettle is slowly heading toward boiling and Serena has two mugs out ready and is in the process of trying to hunt down a loaf of bread so that she and Hanssen can have some toast for breakfast. It's proving harder than she imagined and Serena concedes that she needs to go food shopping – a task she doesn't particularly enjoy.
She is due to finish work early for once and Eleanor has a long day at college which means they will finish around the same kind of time and Serena is giving serious thought to picking Eleanor up from college and dragging her daughter around the supermarket with her.
Serena has a couple of night shifts coming up; she's hardly a fan of them but can't complain – these are the first ones she's been required to do since Adrienne has been discharged. She owes Ric for the way he has done the rota recently. It's coming up to 7am and Hanssen is sat at the kitchen table checking his emails and frowning at his phone's screen every so often.
"Much on the cards for today?" Serena asks as she locates half a loaf of bread in an unexpected cupboard that is almost certainly her mother's doing. For the past couple of weeks now, she keeps finding that items have moved, utensils have been given new homes, items aren't where she'd expect them to be.
Hanssen doesn't look up when he answers and even several weeks ago, Serena would almost certainly have been annoyed by the man's apparent dismissal but she has slowly come to realise that Hanssen is simply unaware of what he is doing, not intending to cause any offence. His answer causes her to remember the report circulated at yesterday's meeting, still unfinished on her desk when Ric sent her down to AAU; it's just over 12 hours ago but feels like a lifetime ago and Serena dreads Ric's likely interference today once he sees what happened to her and she makes a mental note to check her make-up again, just in case.
"Do you want jam or Marmite with your toast?" Serena asks but doesn't get an answer from Hanssen.
An odd, alarm-like sound suddenly emits from the direction of the living room and frowning at each other, Serena and Hanssen move out of the kitchen to investigate. Serena follows the sound into the living room, Hanssen behind her and she can see a body-shaped lump on her sofa with an uncoordinated hand reaching out to pick up what looks like an iPhone. The noise stops and Serena realises it was an alarm and her gaze travels up the person's arm towards their head, trying to identify them.
"Nurse Lane?" Serena calls out to the blonde woman, recognising her colleague buried under a blanket.
"Ms. Campbell," Chantelle greets her groggily. "I came back last night with Eleanor and Gabby and-"
"It's fine." Serena cuts her off, "we weren't aware that you'd be back, that's all." Serena turns, partly to look for Hanssen and partly to hide the bruising on her face from the nurse but Hanssen is nowhere to be seen and the nurse gives no indication of having seen him. It's a small relief, the nurse could wind up asking more questions than Serena has any intention of answering.
Serena heads back to the kitchen, having told Chantelle where the shower is and where she can find spare towels and she can hear the tired footsteps make their way upstairs. She finds Hanssen back in the kitchen and offers him a smile.
"Perhaps it's best if I eat later," Hanssen suggests carefully and Serena nods, although a little disappointed, she doesn't push, both of them knowing all too well what Chantelle is like, the best of intention but no discretion and neither of them are comfortable with news of their relationship making its way around the hospital in record time.
Once Hanssen has left, Serena heads up the stairs to check for any signs that Eleanor and Gabby might be joining the land of the living some time soon, bullying her daughter into waking, entirely unsympathetic to Eleanor's hungover pleading.
Serena steps into the hospital foyer by herself, her scarf tucked slightly higher on her face than she would normally; she'd given Chantelle a lift to the hospital and the nurse had already headed towards Keller. Making her way over to the Pulse's counter, Serena joins the back of the queue, recognising a couple of the nurses in front of her who were working on AAU yesterday. She fishes out her mobile phone, pretending to check her emails in a deliberate attempt to ignore the way the nurses obviously fall silent when they see her.
Although her make-up covers the evidence of yesterday's incident, Serena still feels surprisingly vulnerable, especially with the way the two nurses obviously keep turning around to look at her. After the third time, Serena glares at them, deciding to confront them about their behaviour but unfortunately they make themselves scarce as soon as their drinks are ready and Serena resists the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose – it's still quite tender after all.
She shifts impatiently, hoping that a morning dose of caffeine will soothe her nerves. A familiar voice comments on the psychological benefit of the lemon muffins from behind her shoulder and Serena turns around to see Sacha Levy behind her.
"Morning, Serena." He beams at her and Serena wonders how he manages to exude so much sunshine. "How are you feeling?"
"Everything alright with Miss. Reid?" Serena questions out of habit, almost annoyed that she is still interested in the welfare of the woman who struck her. There are times when Serena wishes she could switch off the doctor part of her mind and just be a woman scorned instead.
"Still running tests. Tox screen came back clear."
"Clear?" Sacha nods and Serena groans. "Would you apologise for me then." She owes the younger woman an apology it seems but Sacha waves her request away.
"I already spoke to her about it and she admits it wasn't an unreasonable suggestion, all things considered but I'd steer clear for the moment, I think she feels embarrassed too by her reaction." He beams at her – the matter apparently sorted.
"Yesterday was just one of those days," she confesses, wishing the queue would move quicker. "In fact, I think it's been one of those years."
"Ah." Sacha nods knowingly and Serena exhales slowly.
"Mr. Hanssen frowns upon the consumption of wine on the ward so coffee will have to do until later." Serena comments dryly. "Any secrets to share?" Sacha leans in to whisper conspiratorially and Serena finds herself mimicking him.
"I hug nearby people until I feel better." Sacha's answer provokes a tired smile from Serena.
"Including Michael?"
"Especially Michael, although he doesn't like it much, something about his masculinity." Sacha comments with such an innocent look that Serena can't help but crack a smile in the face of Sacha's constant sunshine. "Come on."
'Come on what?' is all that Serena's mind has time to process before realisation dawns. "No, Sacha," the next thing she is aware of, he has his arms around her and she's been pulled into a gentle bear hug. "Too late." She mumbles into the registrar's scrubs, glad when she is released.
After placing an order for a coffee and grabbing a lemon muffin on Sacha's recommendation, Serena heads to Keller, feeling much better than when she left and she thinks that maybe Sacha's approach has its merits.
AN2: Right, long-ish chapter to finish that little bit, got a few good bits coming up.
If anyone's still reading this, I'd love to hear from you :-)