Ric wondered, not for the first time, why he had agreed to be the designated driver that evening and pick Serena up. Last time they had been in this situation, she had gone and drunk an entire bottle of wine just to spite him, and he still wasn't over that completely. And yet, he knew that she was still reeling over not having Ms. Wolfe by her side, so this was the least that he could do, he supposed.

Pulling into her driveway, Ric parked and made his way to the door. Jason let him inside, giving him a wary smile, which he returned easily.

"Jason! Is that Ric?"

He snapped to attention, feeling almost like an errant child at the tone she was using, and then shook his head. It was surprising how much reflex could still take over, he mused as he waited to see her appear. "Yes, Auntie Serena, he's here! And he looks very dashing in his tuxedo. Though I would have thought that Doctor Bernie would be taking you to something like this," he said frankly as Ric heard Serena's heels clack on the floor, coming nearer and nearer to them.

Ric was unable to stop the low whistle that escaped his lips at the sight of her. He had not been expecting her to wear red, since the last of these events had had her in basic black. This color, though, highlighted her dark eyes and hair, giving her a glow that was almost otherworldly. She glared at him a little as she sailed past, picking up her clutch and settling the strap over her shoulder. "I told you, Jason, Bernie is still in Kiev, and won't return until next week. I can't turn time to bring her closer."

There was a sad sound in her voice, one that he had never heard before, and he knew that he would have to salvage this evening before it began. "Well, I suppose that I'll just have to give Bernie a run for her money this evening," he teased.

Ric was also not expecting the black look that she threw his way as her spine stiffened and her chin lifted up into the air. "You will do no such thing, Mr. Griffin," she spat out, her voice high and brittle. "Now, are you ready to get this evening over with?"

"After you, Ms. Campbell," he said, gesturing towards the door She nodded sharply as she slipped into a warm coat and then marched out into the night. He gave Jason a look that he hoped would pass for sheepishness before following Serena to the car. She was already ensconced in the passenger seat and fiddling with his radio by the time he got there, and he tried not to groan as some weird jazz music blared from the speakers. "I don't think that that will be particularly conducive to relaxing," Ric muttered as he turned down the volume, only to have his hand lightly smacked. "Serena."

"Ric." Once more, she glared at him, and he wondered where her head was at. It was clear that something was wrong, more than just having to attend this gala, and he didn't know if he could broach the subject with her or not. "Please, let's just get there and back."

"All right." He backed the car out of the drive and tooled along the road until they had reached the venue. The entire drive was too quiet, and he kept shooting her looks, watching her glance at her phone. As he parked, he turned to look at her fully, assessing her mood. "I take it that you have Bernie as your wallpaper, then?"

"Yes. It's the only thing that's been keeping me sane these last few weeks." Her demeanor was suddenly open and warm, and Ric knew that it was only because of her tenderness for the other woman. "And Jason is right, I really wish that Bernie was here, that I could be on her arm, and dancing the night away with her. We would cause quite the scandal, you know."

He smiled as he nodded. "When the two of you get together, scandal seems to follow you in spades. Though I don't think that you particularly care about that, do you?"

She winked as she exited the car and waited for him. He came to his senses and made his way to her side, holding out his elbow expectantly. "I'm only going to tell you this once. I plan on getting very drunk this evening, and I might say some things that I probably shouldn't. I'm counting on you to keep me somewhat in line."

"Aren't you expecting a lot from me?"

It seemed like he couldn't stop teasing her, but this time she had the grace to blush before speaking. "Just pretend that you're Bernie, and I'm certain that everything will be fine," she finally bit out as she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. Together, they went inside, and he guided her to the coat check so that she could turn in her wrap and clutch. He accepted the claim ticket, knowing that he would have to be responsible for her, if she truly was intent on drinking that evening.

"I wonder if Hanssen is here yet?" he asked as they walked down a short corridor, and Serena shrugged a little as her shoulders drooped almost sadly. "Hey, chin up. You're going to be one of the loveliest women here tonight."

She stopped dead in her tracks and laughed loudly, shaking her head in disbelief. "Why do you insist on making passes at me?"

"Because it annoys you so. And you need your dander up this evening, so as not to make any missteps while on the dance floor. Come on, you know that Hanssen will have a fit if you wear a long face and plod along out there, he is expecting some great results for Holby, and we both want a bite of that apple for our wards. Right?"

Serena smirked a little as she gave him a small nod. "I hate that you can read me so well."

"No, you don't." They shared a look and then Serena burst into giggles. It seemed to be just the release she needed as the last of her anxiety melted from her features as she settled her hand into the crook of his arm once more. "Now, I know that if Hanssen is already in there, he's going to steal the first dance, in order to give you a plan to follow. I, however, am claiming the second dance. If I don't get it in then, I have the feeling that it will never happen."

She nodded and gave him a wide smile. "I suppose that could be arranged. Though you might have to beat my suitors off with a stick."

He was relieved to hear the teasing tone in her voice, knowing that she had finally found more even footing. It was so easy to cover her hand with his and pat it tenderly. "I will gladly step into that role for you, Serena." She glanced up at him and nodded, an unspoken thank you in the air as they stepped through the doorway and into the chaos of the ballroom.