As always thank you so much for your comments, so glad people are enjoying this!
Monday morning arrived and Hanssen sat in the boardroom with Jonny, Elliot and Jac.
'I take it we are just waiting for Ms Effanga and Ms Campbell?' he observed.
Elliot nodded just as the door opened and Mo appeared.
'Not late am I?' she asked as she saw everyone watch her enter.
Hanssen looked at his watch. She wasn't. 'Not quite.' He said. 'Have you perchance seen Ms Campbell on your way?'
'Yea, she's just outside with Mr Griffin.' Mo said nodding towards the door.
With a grim expression, Hanssen stood up and went towards the door. He opened it widely and saw that Serena and Ric were indeed standing right outside the door talking.
They looked at him curiously as he stood there glaring.
'Mr Griffin, how nice of you to walk Ms Campbell to her meeting.' He said sarcastically. 'Perhaps you would allow her to actually enter now?'
Serena gave him a dangerously irritable look but before she could speak Ric rolled his eyes and gently touched her elbow.
'Yes Mr Hanssen, of course.' He said with a wry smile. He turned and gave Serena a small nod. 'We can talk later.' He told her quietly.
Serena gave him a smile but as she turned to enter the boardroom her smile turned to a grumpy scowl at Hanssen. She went in and sat without a word.
Having observed the whole thing the others exchanged uncomfortable glances. Jonny and Elliot exchanging more pointed looks as Hanssen returned to his seat with a stern expression.
Weeks passed and Hanssen and Serena did not speak about their night together. Hanssen had made several attempts to broach the subject with Serena when they were alone in his office together but each and every time he had lost his nerve. Four times he had sat at home on the verge of picking up the phone to call her but never managed it.
Serena was never reluctant to speak her mind and so, he reasoned, her silence must indicate that she considered the incident a mistake and wished to put it behind them. He should be relieved that they were able to do so without matters becoming unseemly. If anything, their professional relationship had improved. Despite disagreeing on certain matters they had not at any point allowed things to become acrimonious. They each made their case and moved on.
Their two biggest sticking points became Malick and the Amanda Layton incident and the issue of Oliver Valentine.
Hanssen had expected Serena to be more supportive of Malick, given that he knew she was quite fond of the registrar. And it wasn't that she was unsupportive as such but it was clear that Serena Campbell's interest and loyalty were neither unconditional nor limitless. She had dug Malick out of a hole before – he had to get himself out of this one. Fortunately that matter eventually came to a satisfactory ending.
Oliver Valentine on the other hand was cause for continuing debate. Serena could not understand why Dr Valentine had been allowed to return to work so soon after Tara's death, and that had been before problems began to arise on Darwin. Hanssen admitted to himself, if not to Serena, that Valentine clearly was not coping as well as he had hoped. But he had discussed the matter with Professor Hope and believed the man when he said Oliver was not beyond saving. He had of course also been subjected to Jac Naylor's unsolicited and barbed opinion on the matter but he was more inclined to take Professor Hope's likely more balanced judgement into consideration.
Serena's words bore a remarkable resemblance to Jac Naylor's, albeit more diplomatic than Naylor could ever manage, and he would not be surprised if they had discussed the matter between themselves.
These days Hanssen tried to avoid Darwin. Seeing Valentine was only part of the reason. He also couldn't bear the way Professor Hope and Nurse Maconie now looked at him. He cursed his weakness that day in telling them what had happened with Serena. Especially since in the end it turned out to be nothing more than a…
He couldn't think of it in terms of a one night stand. It made it seem seedy somehow and that wasn't how it had felt to him.
Perhaps if he hadn't acted so ridiculously that Monday morning, he and Serena might have had an opportunity to talk. After showing her up in front of the others she had avoided speaking directly to him throughout the meeting and left immediately afterwards. She spent the rest of the day in theatre and he didn't see her again until Wednesday when he had pretended to need her help in theatre. He knew she saw through the excuse and said as much, grumbling about time being money and didn't stay.
After a particularly tedious meeting at St James' Hanssen chose not to park in his designated space and hoped to make it to his office with as few people spotting him as possible. It was a ploy he used sometimes to get some peace and quiet to catch up on paperwork. He would park in the main carpark where his car wouldn't be noticeable, go in quietly and instruct his secretary Kelly to say he was at a meeting if anyone inquired.
As he walked from the carpark he came across Jonny Maconie sitting on a bench eating a sandwich as though he expected to someone to come and take it off him at any minute.
'Nurse Maconie.' Hanssen gave him a nod as he slowed his pace.
Jonny swallowed the last of his sandwich. 'Mr Hanssen.' He took a drink of water. 'How are you?'
Hanssen quirked an eyebrow. He realised it was simply a turn of phrase but it wasn't one people usually used with him. People rarely even pretended to inquire as to how he was. 'I am well Nurse Maconie. You on the other hand look like you're hiding from something.'
Jonny looked mildly startled at the observation. 'Oh just getting a breather. Ward's a bit… well, it's good to get a break sometimes.'
Hanssen didn't like the sound of that. 'Is there a problem on Darwin?' he asked.
Jonny shook his head rapidly. 'Oh no! No! I just mean… Jac and Mo have been on my case, teasing that's all… there's only so much mocking a bloke can take, you know?' he gave a quick grin hoping Hanssen would drop the matter.
'I see.' Hanssen said contemplatively. He suddenly became aware of a teenage girl waving at him and as she got closer realised it was Eleanor Campbell.
'Hello Mr Hanssen.' She greeted him.
'Hello Miss Campbell.' he replied pleasantly.
She grinned. 'You may call me Eleanor.' She said loftily.
'Then you may call me Henrik.' He replied.
Jonny watched the exchange curiously.
'This is Nurse Maconie.' Hanssen introduced them. 'Eleanor is Ms Campbell's daughter.'
'What she still won't let you call her Serena?' Eleanor asked with a raised eyebrow.
Hanssen worried for a second that she would say something then remembered Maconie already knew.
'I presume you are here to see your mother.' He said.
'Yea, called her ages ago to let her know I'm here. I'm not allowed inside in case I disgrace her!' Eleanor said rolling her eyes.
Jonny grinned. He imagined Serena Campbell as a tough parent. 'Here she comes.' He said as Serena made her way towards them and she wasn't alone. Jac was with her. Oh shit, Jonny thought, he was supposed to get her a sandwich and go straight back to Darwin twenty minutes ago but he'd risked grabbing something to eat for himself first.
Hanssen noticed Serena seemed a little taken aback to see who was in her daughter's company.
Eleanor immediately produced a piece of paper and handed it to her mother with a proud look. As Serena read the paper, Jac quietly berated Jonny for his "lengthy absence from the ward".
'Oh darling, that's brilliant!' Serena exclaimed pulling Eleanor into a hug. 'My little genius!' she said giving her a kiss.
Hanssen, Jac and Jonny all smiled at the scene.
'Good exam results?' Jac guessed.
'Excellent exam results!' Serena corrected her.
'You do realise you have to buy me something super nice now right?' Eleanor told her beaming mother.
'Ha!' Serena scoffed. 'I wondered how long that would take. How about we go for a celebratory dinner tonight?'
Eleanor looked unimpressed.
'As well as getting you something nice.' Serena added. 'Nice of course not necessarily equating to 'expensive'!'
'Of course it means expensive!' Eleanor replied. 'And can Dad come tonight? It'd be nice to have a family dinner.'
Jonny glanced furtively at Hanssen at the mention of Eleanor's father but there was no reaction.
Serena winced. 'Why don't we save that for when you graduate medical school?' she suggested.
Eleanor didn't push it as she had expected the answer to be no.
'Another GS surgeon in the making?' Jac asked.
'Or I might follow in Dad's footsteps.' Eleanor said with a sly look at her mother.
'I am not footing the bill for you to become an anaesthetist!' Serena retorted in a tone that suggested she wasn't joking.
Eleanor rolled her eyes again and then checked her watch. 'I have to go or I'll miss my bus. Unless you want to pay for your genius daughter to get a taxi?'
'Don't miss your bus.' Serena replied, giving Eleanor another kiss on the cheek.
Eleanor sighed dramatically and turned on her heel. 'Bye Henrik!' she shouted over her shoulder.
Serena glanced sharply at him.
'Goodbye.' He replied, glancing somewhat nervously at Serena.
Jac raised her eyebrow and Jonny knocked over his bottle of water, spilling it near Jac's foot to distract her.
'Watch it Maconie!' she barked.
'Sorry!' he apologised.
Jac turned to Serena. 'So, you married a gas monkey?' she asked in surprise.
'I know.' Serena sighed. 'What was I thinking?'
The two women headed back inside laughing. Jonny turned to Hanssen.
'Well her daughter clearly likes you. That's good.' He said.
'Irrelevant if her mother doesn't.' Hanssen said almost dejectedly.
'So you want her to like you then? Ms Campbell.'
Hanssen realised he had perhaps revealed to much in his tone and immediately adopted a stiffer posture and afirm but neutral voice.
'That matter is no longer up for discussion.' He told the nurse.
Jonny gave him a smile. 'You don't have to tell me. But be honest with yourself about what you want. If it's casual sex with Ms Campbell, that's fine. But if you want more… it won't happen by itself. Be clear about what you want.'
Hanssen looked towards the entrance as Serena and Jac made their way in.
'So your daughter calls him Henrik?' Jac asked.
Serena internally winced, she had hoped that might have gone unnoticed but she should have known better.
'She does that kind of thing to wind me up.' She said as an explanation.
'Right so he's not 'Uncle Henrik'?' Jac said giving her a bold look.
'No he is not!' Serena replied.
Jac laughed. 'He didn't seem bothered by it though. You know I think he's mellowed lately.'
'About time.' Serena mumbled.
Jac smirked. 'If you're sure it's not you mellowing him out then…' she glanced sideways at Serena again.
'There is nothing going on between Mr Hanssen and I.' Serena insisted. 'Eleanor just likes to create awkward situations. Give it thirteen years or so and you'll soon know for yourself the nightmare of having a teenager.' Serena pushed the button for lift pretending to be oblivious to Jac's shocked expression.
'Did Jonny tell you?' Jac demanded.
Serena smirked.
'Was it Mo? I'll kill her!' Jac hissed.
'Before you embark on a murderous rampage,' Serena said amused, 'no one told me. I'm a doctor – I didn't need to be told.'
'Well no one else had noticed.' Jac huffed as the lift doors opened.
'Really?' Serena asked. 'Now that is actually worrying.'
'Hold the door!' Jonny called out as he and Hanssen hurried to the lift.
Serena kept it for them. She noticed Hanssen was slightly breathless. She didn't think she had ever seen him breathless, aside from… the obvious… She felt her cheeks getting warm and pushed the thought aside hoping no one noticed her sudden blush.
'I suppose I may as well tell you then.' Jac said grumpily to Hanssen.
'Tell me what?' he asked.
'I'm pregnant.' She said flatly.
Hanssen blinked. 'Congratulations.' He said. 'And congratulations to you Nurse Maconie.' He added.
Jac and Jonny both looked at him stunned.
'Who said he…' Jac began but Hanssen gave a similar smirk to the one Serena had given earlier. 'Oh well, aren't you two a regular pair of detectives.' She said.
Serena grinned. Jonny looked lost.
'I thought you didn't want to tell anyone?' he asked.
'What's the point in denying it when Sherlock and Watson here have figured everything out anyway?' She sulked.
'It was hardly the mystery of Reichenbach.' Hanssen said coolly.
Serena chuckled and Hanssen acknowledged to himself how much he liked making her laugh. Jac and Jonny simply looked at them blankly.