Not quite sure how this happened, but it stemmed from reading a comment on Tumblr from ames-78 that quite distracted me from my recent Call the Midwife efforts. Sorry if it's awful, it's just sort of stumbled out onto the page and hasn't been proof read or anything of the sort.

Serena sat back on the settee, the rim of her wine glass pressed to her lips as she stared into the distance, her gaze unfocused.

What in the world had happened today?

Her head was still spinning, and for once, not from Jason and his many, many eccentricities. She really couldn't have made the events of today up if she tried. She had been so angry with Bernie for lying to her. Again. She hadn't even been able to look at her, knowing that if she had stayed in that office a moment longer she would have lost her temper completely and said something she would regret.

She took another mouthful of wine, letting the flavours rest on her tongue before swallowing. She had been so angry, and yet, so quick to forgive. She had stormed out of that office ready to tear into the next person who so much as looked at her the wrong way, but standing in the queue for a coffee ten minutes later, she had already talked herself down.

She was a mother. She could understand where Bernie was coming from. After all, there wasn't a single thing she wouldn't do for Eleanor. She would lie, cheat and steal for the girl if it came to it. That wasn't what confused her, however. She was good at being angry, rather talented at being annoyed and certainly excelled at holding a grudge. So why on earth did she always end up forgiving Bernie at the drop of a hat?

Whether it was lying, leaving their shared office in a complete shambles or showing her trademark disrespect for certain protocols, Serena would have it in her to remain steadfast in her disapproval and aggravation only until Bernie gave her one of those lopsided smiles or her best puppy dog eyes.

Damn woman. She was infuriating but brilliant. Admirable and adorable.

Serena paused. Adorable? She looked down at her now empty glass, her gaze quickly flicking to the bottle on the table. Still enough left for a quick refill. Reaching forward for the bottle, she halted, the cap half unscrewed as her phone lit up on the table with an incoming message from the woman herself.

She ignored the bright screen for a moment, taking the time to refill her glass before settling back on the settee, phone in one hand, glass in the other. She swiped her finger over the screen opening the message.

'Thank you for being very much you today – and for being so understanding. I owe you and apology and much more besides. Honestly don't know what I'd do without you.'

Well that didn't help matters. Serena closed the message, sipping from her glass as she swiped at the screen and opened her pictures, her finger settling on a selfie Bernie had taken of the pair when they were both tipsy. It had been the night Morven had joined them, her first day back on AAU. The night Serena had reduced them to tears they had howled so much with laughter at her yoga demonstration.

Bernie's cheeks were rosy and her eyes bright as she leant her head against Serena's in the picture. Wide smiles were spread across both their faces. The brunette swirled the last of the wine in her glass as she continued to gaze at the picture.

They looked happy. She swiped to the left, flicking through the remaining photos from that night, stalling only when she came across one she hadn't even realised was there. She had no idea who had taken it, only that it couldn't have been either she or Bernie. She featured in the right hand side of the screen, clearly talking animatedly about something, while Bernie filled the left. The blonde had a soft expression on her face as she gazed at Serena, hand clasped around her wine glass and a gentle smile gracing her features. It wasn't her usual trademark smirk. No, this expression was something different.

The sound of Bernie's soft 'goodnight' echoed in her ears without prompting. What was it she had said tonight in response as she left? 'That's what love is, I suppose. Defending the indefensible.'

She pulled Bernie's message back up on the screen, her fingers hovering over the screen before typing her reply. 'After all I've seen I dread to think what chaos you'd get yourself into without me. And you don't need to thank me. Against my better judgement, it seems I'm always in your corner. If you do feel you owe me, however, why not pay me back with drinks? And I don't mean the cheap plonk in Albie's!' She hesitated before hitting send, keenly aware of just how much scope there was to read between the lines of what she had written, and rather terrified to see just what a certain blonde haired trauma specialist's interpretation would be.