It's bulkier this time, one of those large padded envelopes with room inside for all sorts of things. The ever present fountain pen had made a 6 on the front and the familiarity of that was as odd comfort. She'd given up now trying to guess, Serena had surprised her so much with the picture of the wolf cub and the emotional connection that this could be going literally anywhere.

The brunette had to stop herself rubbing her hands in glee at what was coming next. She was pleased with the contents of this envelope, the inspiration having hit whilst she had been sat on the office floor. This was personal now and she was actually looking forward to sharing this piece of herself with Bernie, after all, she wanted to know everything about the blonde." A cold hand of fear tried to invade, maybe she didn't want to know, Bernie didn't, that is, but Serena had the idea that wasn't true, that deep inside the Major did love her and was simply not at a place to see it, to see her and the love that seemed to exploding out of every pore and growing exponentially by the second.

There was obvious weight to this one and Bernie turned it over carefully, not knowing what was inside, whether it was delicate. She ripped the red cotton thread across from left to right that allowed her access and slowly reached inside. She drew out a book, a photograph and a bracelet with a charm on it. Turning each of them over in her hands she examined them and waited for Serena to explain.

"Reason 6. Things you don't know".

Well that made absolutely no sense in anyone's head surely. How could things you don't know be reasons to stay if you don't know them? She was so tired and couldn't begin to see the logic here.

"The photograph is my Mother, with Jason's mother." Bernie looked up sharply at that, Serena had never, never talked about this. "We didn't have an easy relationship at any point really, Mother and I. She was dismissive of my plan to be a doctor like my father, thinking I'd never land a decent husband like that".

Serena smiled but Bernie winced a little at the lack of understanding Serena's mother had had of her.

"She was even less impressed by Harvard, didn't understand why I needed another degree, more letters that came after my name that were "meaningless if you're not married dear"," mimicking a little. "I think the only time I've ever pleased her was marrying Edward and having Elinor. When we divorced, she didn't speak to me for a month, refused to listen to how he'd cheated again and again, about his drinking and his treatment of me. I must have don't something wrong in her eyes, I always did.

"Serena" breathed Bernie, "you're.."

"She never told me about my sister" Serena cut across Bernie, not really hearing her. "We never had the chance to get to know each other, I missed all of Jason's childhood because my mother ran from the truth and the shame of staying and being open with me was too much and it cost all of us. Not just my mother who ran away from it, not literally but metaphorically, and we all lost."

They sat in companionable silence for a bit, Bernie in awe and wonder at how Serena had just shared and Serena in wonder and awe that she had managed to get all that out and Bernie not bolt, knowing some of it was a bit close to the bone, but feeling the freedom that comes with complete honesty.

Serena reached over and picked up the book and put in Bernie's hands. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. The army medic looked at it carefully. It was clearly an old, much-loved copy and when she opened the cover she saw "Serena McKinnie" cluing her in that this was a treasured possession.

"Do you know the book?" Serena asked? Bernie nodded, having studied it at school.

"I love this book" the brunette said simply. "It's been halfway round the world with me. It reminds me to love, no matter who the person is, to see deeper into people than what is on the surface. It's taught me people can surprise you, do things you don't expect and yes, that life doesn't always go the way you want it to. I cry every single time I read it when Tom dies, at the injustice. It makes me a better Mum, Auntie, friend and doctor, because it gives me a standard to live to. Not the Hippocratic oath, this book, is my gold standard. Can I read you something?"

Bernie nods again, misty-eyed at having learned another new thing about the perfect woman in front of her that she thought she knew so well. Serena knows the book almost word for word but easily flips the to the page she wants and begins to read:

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it"

"You think you know someone and then they surprise you, over and over again" Serena said, shutting the book. "You think you're doing the right thing but unless you've climbed into that persons skin, how can you know?" She stopped, not wanting to push too hard, letting Bernie draw her own conclusions.

Bernie felt the first real stab of self-doubt, she had climbed into Serena's skin hadn't she? Seen the fear, the anger, heard the gossip about them and what that would do to the intensely private and proper Serena, who took the moral education of her doctors as seriously as their medical training. Was she wrong? "No" Bernie thought quickly, "I'm not, she's showing me that I haven't considers her at all in this, when I kissed her" and stifled a sob.

Serena watched the battle her best friend was clearly having in her mind and decided to try to still the storm momentarily. She picked up the bracelet and opened Bernie's hand to drop it in. It was a simple silver chain with a little enamel bird on it, nothing fancy or expensive.

"My Dad gave me this", she said, recapturing Bernie's attention. "He was the encourager in our family, thrilled when I wanted to become a doctor like him. He was always there if I was scared or unhappy. He didn't have a great way with words, but he could always comfort me when I was scared or sad, and he'd sing to me. Always the same song and I sing it to myself when I'm worried or need to do something hard and it comforts me. He gave me this bracelet just before he died to remind me.." she couldn't go on, choked up with the memories of her precious father.

Bernie picked up her glass of water and turned so she was straddling the bench, left side to the table, facing Serena. She raised the glass to her lips and raised a mouthful. She closed her eyes and asked bravely "Will you sing it to me? Please?"

Serena took a mouthful of her own water and set her glass back down. Took a few deep breaths and sang in her rich deep voice:

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these broken wings and learn to fly

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise"

And jumped at the smashing of glass on the floor, where Bernie had dropped hers. "What, what's wrong Bernie love, tell me?"

Bernie stared at her, eyes wide. She clenched her fists and sang back in a sweet soprano:

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these sunken eyes and learn to see

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to be free."

"How did you know?" She fired at Serena who was completely thrown. "How did you know that's my song, the song I sing before every battle I've ever been in, every hard thing I've ever had to do"?

" I didn't" stammered Serena in amazement, not expecting this at all. " it's always been my song too"

They stared at each other, it felt like hours, days, broken only when Serena stood to fetch a dustpan, mindful instantly of the temptation the shards of glass might present to the other woman. She cleared it away, wrapping it up carefully in a newspaper, sat back down and said gently:

"It belongs to both of us now" and fastened the bracelet around Bernie's right wrist.