AN: Well don't I feel silly. I uploaded this last night and felt a little awkward that no-one had reviewed it only to realise that I hadn't actually published it. Ooops. Anyway, this is another little interlude; as it stands, the next chapter is going to be a big/important one and events of that only add to Ric's confusion and frustration.

I've started a new job as well and I tend to work Tuesday nights so I've missed the last couple of (okay, six) weeks of Holby so no-one tell me what's happened or happening – I'm going to catch up soon.

Thank you all for your lovely reviews, follows and reads of this, it's always great to know people are still reading and to get your feedback on it, especially with Ric's character. This is set about an hour or ninety minutes after the previous chapter.

Right, that's enough of that; usual disclaimers and on with the show!

Last day on Keller

"Mmmm," Serena sighs contentedly as she takes a sip of her recently-acquired hot drink; Ric watches her and after a quick mouthful of his own coffee, decides that his is not that good. They've managed to end up with the lift to themselves from the ground floor up to Keller on the fourth floor, not that he is bothered, there's no hint of anything other than their usual work relationship on display.

"Happy?" He asks lightly, referring to the expression of satisfaction on Serena's face which threatens to become a smirk but transforms into a lazy smile instead, one that Ric doubts too many people ever get the opportunity to see. He attempts to commit the image to memory, in an attempt to recall it the next time that he and Serena argue to stop himself from plotting to throttle her.

"Yes." Her simple answer pleases him more than he'd ever let her know and he ignores the little voice which tells him that he's becoming too involved with this woman.

"Good – it's an improvement on your previous display." Ric comments without thinking as the lift doors open and Serena offers him an inscrutable look as she precedes him onto the ward and stalks off, not waiting for him.

Ric follows Serena, a few steps behind and unable to close the distance between them as the two consultants make their way to their shared office. He greets a passing registrar distractedly, annoyed at how his comment to Serena came out and he silently resigns himself to the probable offence Serena will take and negate any progress they've made.

'One step forward and one step backward' he thinks as they reach the office door, accepting the probable the hair dryer treatment he's about to receive and he apologises as soon as the office door had shut behind him. Serena had continued as if she hadn't heard him and Ric sighs, striding across the office, dumping his own bag under the table and turns to face his colleague, wanting to get his chastisement over with.

"As much as it pains me to admit it," Ric watches Serena as she removes her laptop from her shoulder bag, not looking at him as she talks to the room. "My reaction... before, left a lot to be desired."

Ric remains silent, aware that agreeing with her isn't the best approach in this instance. Once she has her desk set up to her liking, Serena continues to talk, confessing that this is the first attempt at any kind of romantic relationship in several years, since her divorce in fact, to Ric's surprise and pleasure. His surprise obviously shows because Serena takes one look at him, "gee thanks, Ric."

"Sorry," he apologises, "it's just that you..." he trails off, not quite sure how to finish that sentence, describing Serena's behaviour without offending her again.

"Flirt?"

"Err, yeah." Ric nods.

"Ah, All talk and no trousers," Serena confesses as she catches sight of his expression and almost sheepishly adds, "so to speak." He can't help but smile briefly at the last part.

Ric was just content to have her acknowledge that there was something between them and not attempt to pass it off as nothing as she tried to do after Sacha's wedding. He's pretty certain that they can figure the rest of it out themselves in time an he is looking forward to doing so more than he should.

"Well, I suppose one of us should check the ward is still standing." Serena leaves the office with a smirk in his direction and all Ric an do is watch as she leaves the room to check on her patients. There are a couple of details Ric needs to check before he does his own rounds and pulling a pile of folders towards him, he muses that he is no closer to understanding Serena Campbell.

"For crying out loud; why are you so..." Serena stops, turns away and rests her hands on her desk and Ric idly thinks that if he was having this argument with Malick, the registrar would probably have put his fist through the desk; 'then again', Ric thinks, 'Mr. Malick wouldn't pick this fight'.

"So what?" Ric retorts, wanting Serena to finish her sentence.

"So stubborn," Ric snorts in response and Serena amends her attack. "So inflexible and unwilling to-"

"All this because I won't dump a vulnerable post-op patient as readily-"

"I'm not going to dignify that with an answer." Serena interrupts, visibly bristling at what Ric is implying.

Their good moods from this morning seem to have evaporated as the day has worn on; it's mid-afternoon and the effects of the night shifts' disturbance to Ric's sleeping pattern is starting to take its toll and he can feel himself start to flag. The irregular sleep combined with a lack of sleep last night has shortened his temper and Serena seems determined to jump all over his last nerve.

After a few hours he finds himself arguing with Serena about the topic they've argued to death but never fail to resurrect at any given moment. Patient discharging. Or 'patient turnover' as Serena sometimes calls it; Ric hates that phrase. It's little more than jargon from the business world which is creeping into medical terminology and reduces the importance of patients down to stock or commodity rather than customers – the whole reason the NHS exists and that any of them have jobs and he thinks that the upper echelons of the hospital and NHS management would do well to remember that.

"Do you deliberately seek to undermine my improvements to the running of this ward?" Ric longs to tell her that not everything is about her but isn't certain whether he has the patience to endure her response.

"I think you'll find that this is my ward-"

"Don't dance on my grave – I haven't left yet."

"-and that this is my patient." Ric barely pauses for Serena's growled interruption. "Therefore, the clinical decision to discharge or not is mine."

"What a surprise that it's your patient, Ric." Ric hears Serena's muttered comment and decides against ignoring it. Irrespective of the fact that they're sleeping together, Ric is not about to allow Serena to snipe and mutter at him.

"You may not place much faith in the care in the community project you believe I run but there is more to recovery from surgery than-" Ric's lecture is stopped in its tracks by the smirk which appears on his colleague's face which rapidly transforms into rich laughter.

Ric watches his colleague laugh, completely bemused. Serena obviously thought that... actually he had no idea what Serena is thinking and finding so amusing – the woman is completely mystifying to him at times. He thought that they were arguing and so her laughter makes no sense to him whatsoever and Ric frowns, waiting for Serena to explain.

He waits rather impatiently for Serena to finish laughing and darkly thinks to himself that she had better not be laughing at him; he shoots her an almost baleful look but she doesn't seem to notice. After a minute or so, Serena sobers and catches sight of his expression.

"Oh, lighten up, Ric." She chastises gently, moving to sit on the edge of his desk.

"What's so amusing?" He asks pointedly, barely refraining from point out that she started this latest argument.

"It suddenly struck me that amidst all this upcoming change, that we haven't changed. We're still arguing about the same things as before. It's a relief to be honest." Ric doesn't understand what he has to do with it, he's always rather thought that Serena could have a full-blown argument in an empty room. "I guess you'll always be a grumpy git, Ric but for now, you're my grumpy git." Serena surprises Ric, he isn't certain why she was laughing, despite her explanation but her words cause a feeling of warmth and he ignores the voice telling him to be careful, conceding that it's probably something to think about later.

"Grumpy?" He responds sternly but his expression belies the seriousness of his words. "I think you'll find that you started arguing with me. It's little wonder I'm grumpy." Serena snorts softly and looks around the room for a moment before returning her gaze to him.

Ric hadn't wanted to mention the impending staff change, over the past few months he'd rather gotten used to sharing the office with Serena. As amused as he is by Michael's likely reaction to Serena, he finds himself wishing that she was staying on Keller. He can't even begin to imagine what she has done to upset Hanssen to such a degree.

"I must admit," Serena says softly, any trace of aggression in her voice has gone. "I think I will almost miss your grumbling all the way up here."

"How will AAU cope with your efficiency and streamlining?" Ric responds dryly, almost wishing he could be a fly on the wall of AAU on Monday when Hurricane Serena is unleashed upon them.

"Well, I'm sure that Michael Spence will be happy to indulge me in an argument or two..." She recovers quickly and Ric knows that she is deliberately attempting to provoke him and he frowns, feeling an urge to kiss Serena to remove any thoughts of the American from her head.

"It will take some getting used to, not having anyone to lock horns with constantly," Ric comments, teasing Serena back. "I will be able to take as long as I want to discharge my patients, 3, 4 days, or even as long as a week if I believe it's in the best interests-"

"Enough." Serena throws her hands in the air in despair, provoking a smirk from Ric. "I'm sure my exile won't last for long, just long enough for the Swedish Chef to make his point." Ric tries not to frown, less certain than Serena about the severity of Hanssen's decision but says nothing. He can't help but think of Michael Spence who is still on AAU after nearly two years and the American is far less stubborn than Serena is.

"What are you doing tonight?" The question surprises Ric, it wasn't what he meant to ask her.

"Why, Mr. Griffin," Serena drawls, "are you asking me on a date?" Ric can see that Serena is smirking and she props herself on the edge of his desk as he tries to look offended by her suggestion and ignore the voice that tells him what he is interested in.

"Not at all, Ms. Campbell," he responds in kind, "merely a drink between two colleagues on their last shift together."

"So it's just an excuse to get sozzled, dressed up as a toast to 'pastures new' or rather, wards new?" Ric tries to maintain an even expression and not reveal his amusement at how Serena has just set herself up and he savours the rare moment of knowing he's getting one over on her.

"Actually, Ms. Campbell," Ric runs a fingertip down her leg, "it is more to celebrate getting rid of you." He rapidly removes his hand from her body knowing that if she catches it, she'll probably break it.

His gaze rises to meet hers and the expression on Serena's face is priceless.

"I rather gave you that one," Serena huffs in what looks like mock annoyance to Ric. "Well, your celebration will have to wait – Eleanor and I are going to the cinema tonight."

"What are you going to see?" Ric asks automatically, partly to distract himself from the brief flare of disappointment. He tells himself that he has to tread carefully around Serena Campbell, she is dangerous enough without him becoming too involved and making himself vulnerable.

"No idea, it's her choice and as long as it isn't all guns and explosions, I don't mind." Serena leans towards him and he tracks her progress.

"Hmmm, I was under the impression that explosions were your speciality?" He asks, the sarcasm obvious and provokes Serena into rolling her eyes.

"Shut up, Ric." He smirks and sits forward in his chair and distractedly pleased by her apparent willingness to kiss him in the office, Ric throws caution to the wind and as their lips meet, he decides he wants to spend another evening with her soon and pulls away to ask her.

"So perhaps when I'm back, we could..."

"Mr. Griffin, Ms. Campbell, there you are – I've been looking all over for you." Ric's attention swivels around to the blonde nurse stood by the office door, thankfully she seems oblivious to the scene in front of her. Serena recovers quicker, the formidable consultant again in an instant and impatiently asks the nurse about her interruption as she stands, increasing the distance between herself and him.

"Well, I was just wondering if I should get Mrs. McTavish ready for discharging or... not." Chantelle trails off and Ric realises that he and Serena never finished that particular tête a tête, with neither of them willing to back down, however, Mrs. McTavish is his patient and he opens his mouth to tell Chantelle so.

"Yes." Serena answers before Ric can.

"No." Ric counters immediately. "She is my patient and I will speak to her in a little while. She stays where she is until then." He addresses Chantelle, deliberately not looking at Serena who seems to take exception to being ignored.

"Oh for God's sake Ric, this is madness..."

Neither of them notice when Chantelle exits the office again, shutting the door behind her quietly with a grimace on her face as she realises that she's set the two consultants off arguing again.

AN: There were some nice warm words from Serena in there, did she mean them or is she just manipulating Ric? Hope you enjoyed this little chapter, more soon :-)

Next time – Ric returns from his holiday to find himself in a strange, new world.

Feel free to drop me a line and let me know if/what you liked :)