Hi! Sorry for the delayed update; I've just returned to school and things are a bit heavy at the moment! Also, kind of struggling for prompts now- we're on chapter 29! So if you have any ideas, please do suggest them and I'll do my best! Thanks! x

"That's the fifth one we've had this week!" Bernie exclaimed through a frown, slamming the last of her files onto the nurse's station and perching on the edge of the desk. The first bod-job tattoo seemed to be a unique case amongst the staff on AAU, but by the fourth patient with a similar problem, Bernie's bedside manner had become, unintentionally, irate. She looked down at Serena, who carried on typing after a quick glance upwards.

"Your point is?" Serena hummed, continuing to type but edging slightly closer to where Bernie was positioned, catching a small smile at the gesture from the corner of her eye.

"It's only Tuesday!" Bernie cried out, quite a bit louder than Serena had anticipated, making her jump slightly and, therefore, Bernie to giggle.

"Since when were you so keyed up?" Bernie winked, quite proud at her wit but received a blunt look from Serena, who was clearly not impressed. "Or do I always have that effect on you?" She husked, leaning in closer and keeping her voice, this time, to a minimum.

"Ha, bloody ha, Major." Serena spun back around and continued typing "By the way, this is your paperwork I'm doing here. Or do you want me to stop?" She quirked her eyebrow and shot a challenging look to her partner.

"Carry on!" Bernie chimed with a grin, as she gathered a few more folders and returned to her patients. Any tattoo problems were welcome with open arms compared to her attitudes to admin.

"Would you have a tattoo?" Bernie circled the rim of her glass with her finger, an amused smile worked on her lips when a whirling note, fluctuating in pitch as she continued, came from it. Since the five that morning, Bernie had been faced with yet another two tattoos gone wrong. They looked painfully infected, each and every one of them, and when Bernie had asked where they'd had it done, every case pointed to the same source- a small studio on Billchurch Street at the lower end of town.

"I've never really thought about it," Serena's faded reply from the kitchen grew clearer on entering the living room and curling in beside Bernie, glass balanced between three fingers.

"Don't you dare drop that," Bernie warned, watching her fiddle with the stem between her fingers and the rich contents swirl dangerously towards the lip of the glass.

"You know me too well to risk wasting it, darling." Serena smirked, though took a sip and settled it on the table.

"So, would you?" Bernie pressed again, as the conversation- by her own admission- had taken a swerve in subject.

"I honestly don't know, Bernie. Why?" Serena sat up a bit straighter to look her in the eye.

"I just wondered!" She held her hands up in defence, though smirked.

"Would you?" Serena volleyed the question back.

Bernie pondered, putting her own glass down and returning to a relaxed embrace on the sofa without the potential blood bath a spilled glass would make of the cream carpets. Bernie wondered now why they ever thought that would be a good idea. Everybody says not to get light colours with kids, but the real problem here is shiraz.

"I did think about it, when I'd returned from the army. About 15 years ago?" Bernie turned to meet Serena's wide and curious eyes.

"Well, what were you going to get?" Serena enquired, leaning forward now, practically climbing on top of her.

"I did originally want something about the kids: for when I went away." Bernie looked across the room and then back to Serena's expression, unchanged but for a deeper concern-probably out of confusion- in her eyes.

"I don't know why I didn't, to be honest. I think it was because my initial thoughts were pretty drastic; I'd wanted my kids to be a part of me if anything… you know." Bernie's gaze fell completely to the floor but Serena's tighter grasp shot her eyes up again.

"I think I'd have a quote." Serena attempted to lighten the spirits of the conversation that neither her nor Bernie expected to take such a dark turn.

"Really?" Bernie cocked her head as way to prompt her to continue.

"Oh," Serena smiled, taken stupidly by surprise that she would-in fact- have to deliver this quote, instead of just bluffing to make her girlfriend smile.

"There's a few…" She began, trying to buy time.

"Engine been growling or whining?" Bernie toyed, pulling on Serena's calves to spin her around and over her lap. She couldn't tell whether it was this motion or the suggested quote that caused Serena to giggle so much, but either way it was a delightful sight that seemed to brighten the room and dismiss any tragic thoughts of the past she had unexpectedly dug up this evening.

"Cute, I'll give you that, but no." Serena grinned, looking up the sofa to her.

"Let me guess, something really classic." Bernie rolled her eyes playfully.

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Come on, then. Let's hear it."

"I might not want to tell you." Serena pushed herself up onto her elbows, before being whisked forward by Bernie tugging on her legs, so she was sat fully in her lap, strong arms pulling her tighter. Serena squirmed, trying to release her hold, though giggling herself, eventually collapsing into the embrace with brief exhaustion.

"You're not going until I hear what it is!" Bernie laughed, Serena laying her head to Bernie's shoulder.

"Maybe I don't want to," Serena mumbled, Bernie not quite sure what direction her ambiguous comment was directed at.

A moment of silence passed comfortably, Serena closing her eyes in a hope the moment would hold on for a little while longer. For so long, she'd been taking on the world alone and now everything just seemed so perfect- even down to the domestic disputes about the shopping, or who was cleaning the oven this time. Moments like this, she lived for. As riveted as she became in her work, as much as she adored medicine and had seen no other career pathway since adolescence, she was beginning to love her home life as much as her work day: something Serena Campbell hadn't felt in years.

"If not you, who? If not now, when?" Serena finally whispered, causing Bernie to turn her head slightly. Serena could see the puzzlement in her gaze, and promptly followed it up with an explanation, of sorts.

"Something you taught me, actually. Though not your precise words." Serena moved away to look her directly in the eyes, which had now softened at the reasoning.

"Oh, really?" Bernie smirked, leaning forward to kiss her softly on the lips.

"Mm, though it would make a bit of a shit tattoo, don't you think?" Serena shrugged, returning to the embrace.

"Not you Serena, not on you," Bernie smiled, placing a kiss to her head and relaxing back herself.