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This chapter is set during 'Life in the Freezer'
Chapter 2
One Week Earlier
The day had started with a bang. Not a dramatic explosion or anything like that, but the simple bang of a cupboard door one floor down that Serena felt resonate through her very body. "Fuck you, Berenice Griselda Wolfe" Serena groaned as her delicate fingers came up to rub her head. "Ugh" Serena sighed, rolling her neck "Why did I drink so much last night?"
Blinking against the harsh light of the morning, Serena threw her legs over the side of the bed, her body aching; yet a smile played on her lips as she remembered the night before. Who knew something as simple as an innocent meal between two colleagues, who hadn't spoken properly in weeks because of their 'Sexual Chemistry' got the better of them, could put everything into perspective?
"Love" Serena tested "I love… Berenice Griselda Wolfe" Serena let the words hang in the air, waiting for the imminent destruction that would surely follow such a scandalous admission. A smile blossomed on her face in spite of her hang over and she giggled. The world didn't end, and the sun was still shinning in the sky "I love Bernie Wolfe!" She giggled to herself again.
Her giggles were soon forgotten as a pain shot through her head at the all too loud knock at the door, followed by her nephew's all too loud voice "Come on auntie Serena, your toast is getting cold!"
Serena clutched her aching head as she heard the footsteps retreat back down the stairs "Fuck you, Berenice Griselda Wolfe"
It wasn't until Serena had seen Bernie in Pulses that morning, their eyes catching each others gaze over Hansen's shoulder, that Serena decided today was the day. Today was the day she was going to tell Bernie how she felt. If what she'd seen in Bernie's eyes the night before as the alcohol flowed was true, then Bernie felt the same way about her. They were too old to be dancing around the subject if they were both feeling the same pull towards each other.
As she waited for Bernie to finish with Hansen, she carefully constructed a script in her head. In those few short minutes, she'd laid out exactly what she would say right up to them sealing the deal with another delicious kiss. God how she ached for Bernie to kiss her again. But then Bernie deviated from the script and she instead found herself holding a brochure that detailed the exact plot twist she didn't need screwing up her masterpiece of a speech.
The journey to AAU after that was the longest journey of her life. The minute they entered the lift, Serena kept her eyes glued to the brochure under the pretence of being enrapt in what it had to say. Really, she was trying to find a way to adapt her script. She needed to let Bernie know now more than ever how she felt. She couldn't loose her to this.
From that point on, everything seemed like one big blur until she realised she was in their office, her lips moving against Bernie's with considerable gusto. Coming back to her senses, she smirked and stopped moving her lips. Bernie took a little longer to let go, almost as if the moment was fleeting and she didn't want it to end just yet.
"Sorry" She said breathlessly and couldn't help the smile that broke out across her features at Bernie reply. 'Weeks. She's been waiting weeks to do that!' yelled a voice in Serena's head.
So suddenly, she once again found herself out on the ward, her head spinning. Everything was moving so fast and in entirely the wrong order. 'Its ok' Serena thought to herself 'We'll just have to do this backwards! Kiss first and then tell her how I feel, I can still save this!'
Though she'd decided this, the day still went by with no one sticking to the rewritten scripts. She'd told Bernie she didn't want her to go, which was a start she supposed, but then Kathy Higson happened and suddenly Cryogenic stasis and helping a loving husband fulfil his promise to his dying wife took over and all focus was shifted. They'd literally been hands deep in the intestines of a stab wound patient and still; they only spoke of Kathy Higson.
Serena's mind was reeling. She just needed 5 minutes! 5 Minutes to get her head together and talk to Bernie about her feelings. Those 5 minutes came unexpectedly and Serena found that she was wholly unprepared, dropping herself in the deep end by stuttering out something about Jason not being home tonight.
Serena held her breath as she waited for Bernie's reply. She wanted to talk about her feelings, not insinuate that she wanted to fall into bed immediately after 2 kisses and weeks of not really talking. Did she want to? She wasn't usually that type of woman but she did have to admit, Bernie made her feel things she'd never experienced before with the previous men in her life. She supposed Robbie was fun but he was more of an entertaining itch scratcher than anything else.
"Dinner?" came Bernie's quiet response and Serena could have fallen to her knees there and then with relief.
"Tonight?" she answered. 'Tonight would be a good time to talk, Bernie doesn't have to make her decision immediately, we could talk tonight! This could still work!' Serena thought happily.
"My place?"
'No NONONONONONO!' screamed Serena's mind 'No you cant go to her place! You wont be able to concentrate if there's a bed in such close proximity! No! Suggest a restaurant! You don't want to scare her off! SAY SOMETHING!'
"Ok" she smiled 'Fuck!' "I err… better go and find Hansen" 'Yes RUN! Before you say something else!"
Pushing out through the door, Serena paused in the hallway to take a deep breath before moving to walk down the hall towards the lifts.
"Wait!" Serena stopped and turned around to see a man clambering down the hall towards her "wait" he said once more, breathless, as he came to stop in front of her "You saved him, didn't you?"
"Erm… sorry who are you?" Serena questioned, wary about giving out information about a patient, especially one that could possibly be involved in a physical assault case.
"Sorry, my name is Simon! I'm a friend of Tom, the man you just saved?" Serena nodded, not willing to give anything away "Thank you oh thank you! How can I possibly repay you for saving him?"
Serena's concentration was momentarily stunted as the door behind her opened and Bernie came out, files still in hand "yes well its all in a days work, besides, it's the Major you should be thanking!" She nervously chuckled, desperate to get away.
Bernie's head shot up at the title and formalities "Major?" the man questioned in astonishment before fixing his entire focus on the blonde "Thank you" he said breathlessly "You are so talented! Thank you so much for saving him!" he gushed.
Bernie made eye contact with Serena in a silent plea for help. Serena however merely smirked and winked back at her before making her way down the hall to the lifts, leaving the other woman to her adoring fan.
The time it took for her to meet with legal was all the time Serena needed to get the idea of her and Bernie having dinner that night to settle comfortably in her head. 'This is it' she thought with a smile 'this the start of a new chapter in my life, a better chapter'.
The smile on her face only grew wider by Berenice Wolfe performing a feat of humanity and defying death just to make her feel better. Standing in that loading bay as they watched the truck move off with the Higsons, she realised she hadn't felt this happy in a long time. This moment here and now, as she stood in the draughty crevice gazing into Bernie's face, was a moment she was sure she'd never forget. She felt drunk on love and couldn't help the words that slipped from her mouth.
It wasn't until later that evening as she sat crying in her office did she realise what damage that deviation from the script had caused.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid idiot!" she murmured angrily as she beat her head against the knuckle of her thumb. Sniffing, she gazed across at the empty desk opposite from her. With a sinking feeling, she realised that that empty desk would serve as symbolism for her abandonment until Bernie served out her time on the secondment.
"Fuck you, Bernice Griselda Wolfe"
Sorry this chapter is a bit rushed. I promise the next wont be… though you may chuck a potato at my head for it XD