A slightly shorter ( and quicker) update! Had more time over the weekend than I thought I would. Thank you for all the reviews and follows - I really do appreciate it :).

This might be a good time to point out that, while there are some storylines currently on the programme that I'm using, for the purposes of this fic I'm choosing to ignore the one about Serena's mother. That's partly because I have another story in mind that rests heavily on that, and also partly because I'm not really in the mood at the moment to write heavy angst. So sorry if it comes across as being picky and choosy, but hey - it's called fiction for a reason :).

Enjoy!

Serena took the coffee that the man behind the counter handed her, and stared at it for a moment. Strong and black, but somehow she doubted it would do the job on its own. With a slight shrug of resignation, she picked up three sachets of brown sugar and tipped them, one after the other, into the cup. She hardly ever took sugar in coffee, but she figured today counted as an emergency.

'Did I just see you getting out of Hanssen's car?'

The American accent close by her ear made her jump violently, almost spilling her coffee.

'Christ, Michael!' She glared at him, and held up a finger as he opened his mouth again. 'Don't. Don't even start. I have the mother, father, uncle and aunt of all headaches and I am not in the mood. OK?'

'I'd say hangover'. Michael looked at her, the smirk back on his face.

'What?'

Michael fell into step with her as she headed towards the lifts.

'That much sugar? That's no ordinary headache'.

'Whatever it is, you're making it worse'. Serena hit the button for Keller, and looked pointedly at Michael.

'Coming up with you. Got some paperwork for Ric'. He waved the folder he was holding, and Serena sighed. Great. And they had the lift to themselves.

'So'.

'My car broke down'.

'Ah'.

'Hanssen offered to give me a lift home'.

'Right'.

'And picked me up again this morning'. Serena took a mouthful of coffee and looked at Michael. 'That sounded ridiculous, didn't it?'

'Umm-hmm'. To his credit, Michael hadn't quite succumbed to fits of laughter. 'So what happened in between?'

'A bottle of red wine. On my own'.

'Oops'.

'Yes. Oops. So please don't….' She waved a hand vaguely as the lift door opened.

'Hey', Michael held up his hands in mock surrender. 'I promise. But Serena – when was the last time Hanssen did anyone a favour like that?'

She didn't need any more of the over-sweet coffee to catch his meaning. And therein lay her problem.

'Yep. I know'.

For once, Serena could honestly say that she was grateful for so many hernias. Her electives from the day before kept her busy until an emergency appendectomy around lunchtime, and the resulting paperwork meant that she had no time to think about Hanssen. It was pushing five in the afternoon when she threw the last patient folder into the tray on her desk and sighed with relief. Her head was beginning to ache once more and she realized that, yet again, she had not had time for anything to eat. She sipped her coffee and switched screens to check her email, enjoying the beginnings of a fantasy involving an extra large four-seasons pizza, but before she could start properly salivating a sharp voice cut across her thoughts.

'You're a hard woman to track down'.

Serena did not look up from the screen.

'Really? You should have tried theatre. That's what some of us do here, we operate on people'.

'Very funny'.

Jac Naylor walked into the office and sat down on Ric Griffin's empty chair without waiting for an invitation. Serena sighed and looked up, wondering what the younger consultant wanted. She had a grudging respect for Jac, and although neither of them would go so far as to say they were friends, they at least had a decent working relationship. Most of the time.

'And what can I do for you, Miss Naylor?'

'Mr Hanssen has given me the go-ahead to perform the new Japanese procedure first thing tomorrow. We had a new admission on Darwin today who is a perfect candidate. Finally'. She paused. 'I – Mr Hanssen – wondered if you would like to observe'.

'You wondered or Mr Hanssen wondered?' Serena enquired. Just to be clear.

'Hanssen suggested it, but…' Jac shrugged. 'I would have asked you anyway. The more the merrier'.

Serena smirked. Jac would never pass up an opportunity for an audience, especially for something as big as this.

'Mo Effanga and Elliot Hope are both assisting'. Jac handed Serena the folder she had been carrying. 'If you want to observe, I suggest you read this beforehand. It gives you an outline of the procedure. I don't want to be answering basic questions while I'm trying to operate'.

'Of course not', Serena said drily, taking the folder as Jac stood up to leave.

'So, eight o'clock tomorrow morning? Theatre one as far as I know'.

Serena nodded as Jac left the office, swinging the door shut behind her. She sat looking at the folder without opening it, and then, without stopping to think too much about what she was doing, reached for her mobile and dialed Hanssen's number. He answered on the second ring.

'Ms Campbell?'

'Why have you just volunteered me for an eight o'clock start tomorrow?'

'I take it Miss Naylor has been to see you?'

'She has. With a folder an inch thick that's supposed to be my bedtime reading'.

There was a pause.

'I would never read in bed, Ms Campbell. Bad for the eyes'.

Serena managed to choke down her snort of laughter, and she was grateful she had phoned instead of calling by Hanssen's office. Resisting the urge to ask him what he did instead, she flicked open the folder and began to read out loud.

'The surgical management of a perforation to the thoracic esophagus at the cricopharyngeus muscle…..You're right. This is going to be bad for more than my eyes'.

'If it's any consolation, I have the same folder. And it will look bad if you aren't there. Three members of the board are also coming to observe, and you are joint executive director of surgery'.

'I thought I was clinical executive director?'

'Yes, you are'.

Serena scowled. 'I'm beginning to think you conjured these titles out of thin air to keep me quiet'.

'Well, if that was the case it hasn't worked very well. But that's irrelevant. The point is I think you should be there tomorrow'.

'Okay. Okay. I'll be there'. She sighed and flicked the folder shut. A fun evening obviously lay ahead.

'Have the garage returned your car yet?'

Serena realized with a sinking feeling that she had completely forgotten to check.

'Oh, crap'.

'Crap indeed, Ms Campbell. I would ring them now, before they close'.

Serena hastily hung up, and dialed the number of the local garage. She was relieved when the young mechanic who answered the call told her that her car had been driven back to the hospital car park an hour ago, suspension spring mended and keys left under the mat in the passenger footwell. She didn't want to know what the bill was, and, as she read out her credit card number, decided that she would just wait and be surprised when her next statement came through.

As she collected her house keys and jacket, preparing to leave on time for once, she paused and thought back to that morning. She still couldn't work out why Hanssen had gone out of his way for her, why he had offered to take her home and pick her up again, why he had made her coffee and breakfast, why he had wiped mascara from her cheek…..why his touch had made her react in that way. She blinked and swore softly as she pulled out her phone again. She was about to do something she was already convinced she would regret.

'Twice in the space of twenty minutes, Ms Campbell. Does this mean you need a lift home again?'

'Your lucky day. And no, my car is safe and sound in the car park. But I was wondering….'

'Yes?'

Oh, shit. Serena swallowed. She was regretting it already.

'If you wanted to come over for something to eat tonight and plow through Jac's folder. Might make it less…tedious'. She closed her eyes, waiting for the coldly polite refusal she was sure would come.

'As long as you are not offering to cook'.

Serena's eyes shot open. She hadn't actually though about what she would do if he said yes.

'I could pick up a Chinese?' Somehow she doubted that Hanssen would go for the four-seasons pizza.

'I have some things to finish up here. Since I take it you haven't had lunch, can you wait another hour?'

Serena's mouth dropped open. She could almost see that twinkle in his eyes again. Damn the man. This had been a very bad idea. Despite that, she dropped her jacket back down on the back of her chair and put her house keys safely away in her handbag.

'Only if you don't tell anyone about the extra spring rolls I'm planning on getting'.