My apologies for the delay in posting the next chapter. I decided I didn't like the way the rest of the story had panned out and decided to rewrite and reformat. Please let me know what you think. I'm hoping this chapter will spark a little intrigue! This chapter takes place near the end of the story but the next two/three chapters will cover what happened in Stockholm. Consider this something of a 'flashforward' I suppose. I hope it's not confusing, let me know if you don't like it.

I en god bok står det bästa mellan raderna.

(In a good book the best is between the lines.)

Hanssen and Serena walked through the doors of Holby City to be greeted by the voice of Michael Spence calling out 'Quick everyone, best behaviour! Mom and Dad are home!'

Several people nearby paused, those who knew who he was referring to smiling and those who didn't looking mildly confused but mostly uninterested. Without even glancing at Hanssen, Serena could sense his annoyance. Not that his mood hadn't already been miserable. The flight and journey from the airport had been some of the most uncomfortably awkward hours of Serena's life, and she had once had to get through a 3 hour surgery with a woman she knew to be sleeping with her husband!

Michael grinned boldly and waited, coffee in hand, as Serena made her way towards him. Hanssen stalked off towards the lift without a word to Serena and purposely ignoring Michael. Michael could see Serena rolling her eyes at him which made him grin all the more.

'So, how was the Swede's home town?' he asked.

'Cold.' Serena replied.

Michael raised an eyebrow and watched her carefully. When there was no further comment from Serena he continued.

'You're not going to make me have to force it out of you are you?'

''What are you talking about?' Serena replied, though she knew very well. Despite maintaining a vain hope, and her words to Hanssen that Michael might have forgotten all about it, deep down she had known there was no way Michael would let the matter drop.

'Don't you want to share with me whatever explanation you've made up for why Hanssen answered your phone at 2am?'

'I'm more interested in why you were calling me at 3am!' Serena retorted, stressing the 3am.

Michael shrugged. 'I won't lie. I'd had a drink. I thought it was midnight, turned out to be 2am. Or in your case 3am.' He tone implied he saw nothing wrong with calling a colleague at that time. 'I called expecting to hear a, possibly cantankerous Ms Campbell,' he grinned, 'Instead I got a sleepy Mr Hanssen. Why is that?'

'We got our phones mixed up.' Serena answered simply.

'You don't have the same type of phone. How could you not notice the difference?'

'Mr Hanssen uses a different phone in Sweden. It's the same as mine.'

Michael eyed her suspiciously. 'Sounds plausible.' He said.

Serena shrugged and turned to walk towards the lift.

'But I'm not buying it.' Michael said following her.

Serena suppressed a frustrated sigh. 'Whether you "buy it" or not is irrelevant Michael. That's what happened.' She reached the lift and pressed the button.

'You're telling me that there is nothing going on between you and the Big H?' he asked. The lift opened and they stepped aside to let everyone out, saving Serena from replying. Once they entered the empty lift Michael persisted. 'Ok. There is nothing going on between you two. Hanssen just whisked you off to his hometown for no reason…'

'Hardly "no reason"! We went to finalise an intern exchange with a hospital there.' Serena cut him off.

'Which he couldn't do on his own?' Michael asked.

'We have both been involved in setting this up. We both needed to be there.' Serena replied coldly. She was annoyed at the implied dismissiveness being shown towards her job.

'Ah yes. You've been having a lot of meetings about this programme haven't you?' Michael smirked. Serena didn't respond. 'Early morning meetings… late evening meetings…' Michael watched her carefully.

Serena's expression was blank aside from an increasing look of impatience.

'Lots of phone calls…'

'Yes, Michael, that's what these things usually entail. I realise it's been a while since you've done anything more than lance a few boils and stitch up cuts but real grown up consultants and Clinical Directors of Surgery have meetings and make phone calls to people other than their exes!' Serena finally snapped.

'AAU is about more than lancing boils and stitching cuts!' Michael protested defensively, forgetting for a moment he was the one supposed to be winding her up.

Serena gave him a sceptical look, pleased that she had hit a nerve and rattled him. Michael took a calming breath.

'Come on Rena, I know there's more to all this than simply setting up that exchange programme.'

Serena looked at him irritably. 'Stop calling me that!' she snapped. 'I really don't understand why you seem so convinced that there is something going on between myself and Mr Hanssen. Aside from him answering my phone – which I have explained – what else are you basing this ridiculous theory on? The fact that we do our jobs? Just because you can't work alongside a member of the opposite sex without blurring the lines of professionalism doesn't mean no one else can.'

Michael simply smirked. 'So Hanssen arranging to have a breakfast laid out for a meeting with you last week was normal?'

'That was a mistake made by his PA.' Serena replied, then paused. 'How do you know?' she asked.

Michael ignored the question. 'Oh is that was he said?' he laughed. Maybe all this had been one sided, he thought to himself. 'How often does Hanssen's assistant call you? Email you or send you memos?' he asked.

'What's that got to do with anything?' Serena asked. The lift arrived at Keller and opened.

'Humour me!' Michael said as they stepped out of the lift.

Serena sighed and thought for a minute. 'Hardly ever.' She answered. She couldn't understand why Michael looked so pleased by that answer.

'Exactly.' He said smugly.

'Michael, you're really trying my patience now. Exactly what?'

'Zoe, Hanssen's PA, hardly ever calls you because Hanssen always insists on doing it himself. With most other consultants and staff he delegates phone calls and pages to Zoe. But with you… he always says he'll do it himself.'

Michael couldn't read Serena's expression. Serena still wasn't quite certain what Michael was getting at but she had her suspicions.

'So?' she asked airily.

Michael rolled his eyes.

'And how do you know any of this stuff?' she asked.

'Zoe and I… have become closely acquainted recently.' He smirked.

'Ugh she's half your age!' Serena shook her head.

'Yep!' Michael replied looking chuffed with himself. 'And she's been filling me in on Hanssen's recent… behaviour. Says she hasn't seen him act like this towards anyone since Sahira Shah.'

It was obvious from Michael's tone that he thought that point to be significant. Serena did not know Sahira Shah but she had heard rumours.

'Is that supposed to mean something to me?' she asked, choosing to play dumb.

Michael was starting to tire of this. 'You're still denying that anything's been going on?'

'I'm still waiting for any actual evidence of why you think there is!' Serena replied.

'How was your accommodation in Stockholm?' Michael asked.

'What?' Serena looked confused again, this conversation was ridiculous.

'Two weeks ago Hanssen informed Zoe of the trip. He gave her dates and names to book tickets.' Michael began.

Two weeks ago, Serena wondered, then why did Hanssen only give her four days' notice of it?

'Zoe, being the professional that she is and as she has done in the case of other conference trips, took the initiative of booking two rooms in a hotel for you and Hanssen.' Michael continued.

So a hotel had been booked, Serena thought.

'But when she told him, Hanssen told her to cancel the bookings and said that he would sort out the accommodation. He's never done that before.' Michael stared at her pointedly. 'Do you want to hear Zoe's theory?'

'No, but I'm sure Mr Hanssen would love to.' Serena replied coldly.

Michael paused for a moment realising he had potentially gotten Zoe into a whole heap of trouble. 'You wouldn't drop her in it would you?' he asked.

'You're the one doing that Michael.' Serena said purred dangerously.

'Please, Serena…' Michael begged.

Serena started to walk away towards her office.

'Fine! She thinks he cancelled so he could rebook ONE room.' Michael called after her.

Serena stopped in her tracks and twirled around to glare at him. 'Will you keep your voice down!' she hissed.

Michael sauntered over to her.

'Hanssen and I did NOT share a bedroom!' she whispered.

'Why did he cancel the rooms that were booked then? Where did you stay?'

Serena sighed. 'We stayed in an apartment. It was free of charge and Mr Hanssen thought it a better option that forking out hospital money on a hotel.'

'Who gave him a free apartment?' Michael asked.

'It was his own.' Serena wasn't sure if she should have admitted that.

Michael's eyes widened for a moment. 'Huh. So… he brought you to Sweden with less than a week's notice for a trip he had arranged two weeks before that and had you stay in his apartment?' Michael raised an eyebrow. 'That doesn't sound fishy to you? I mean, there must be some kind of HR rule about bringing your work colleagues home with you… I know I've been lectured about it a few times.'

'I think we know what the concern is in your case!' Serena retorted. 'But once again I remind you that not everyone has your debauched motivations.'

'So nothing happened?' he asked for a final time. He was beginning to believe she genuinely had no idea what he was talking about.

'Nothing happened.' Serena replied as convincingly as she could.

If everything Michael said was true that cast the events which took place in Stockholm in a whole new light…