#berena ff

Title: “Sorry I'm Late”

Summary: Number 13 of 100 ways to say I love you.

Rating: PG

Word Count: 628

Part 1, Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12

Serena curses the traffic. She was already running late when she left work and the traffic is going to make her even later. It’s their anniversary and Serena has promised Bernie she would be on time, but she isn’t, and, in fact, she’s getting on for thirty minutes late. 

The traffic crawls along much too slowly and Serena can’t help but think of all the wonderful memories she and Bernie have shared in the past year, especially all the firsts they have experienced together: First kiss, first date, first holiday - a lovely long weekend in Italy, which was the first time they’d shared a bed. She can think of times that have not been as fun, like their first argument that had lead to Bernie walking the five miles home at almost midnight having had too much to drink to drive. There was also the first time that Bernie had met Edward and that had been anything but fun. Edward had been a total jerk, not that Serena was surprised, but she is thankful Bernie stood by her side and not fled in the opposite direction. Despite it all though, Serena knows she wouldn’t change any of it for the world. The few bad moments they have shared far outweigh the wonderful memories they are making together. 

In the time she’s spent musing about the past year the traffic has crawled along enough for Serena to direct the taxi down a side street to take the back roads to the restaurant where Bernie is hopefully still waiting. 

By the time the taxi pulls up outside the restaurant—the one with the extensive wine list where they spent their first not-date—Serena is just shy of three quarters of an hour late. She pays the taxi, forgoing the change, since she just wants to get inside.

As she pushes open the door, she scans the room for Bernie’s distinctly messy blonde locks. All of a sudden she spots her, back to the door, looking as beautiful as she always does to Serena.

Serena tells the waitress that she can already see her girlfriend waiting for her. A few months ago she would have been so shy she would have said partner just to avoid any awkwardness. Then she takes herself over to Bernie, who naturally stands the minute she realises Serena has arrived. 

“Sorry I’m late,” she says as Bernie bends over to place a kiss on her cheek in greeting. Serena can’t help but lean in for a hug as Bernie pulls away from her cheek. “You can blame Sacha, well, you can blame Sacha and the traffic.”

Bernie pulls back from the hug suddenly. “Sacha? Should I be worried that you’ve had enough of being a sapphic goddess and have decided to give men another go?” Serena may have thought Bernie was being serious had it not been for the giant smirk over her face. 

“Never! He needed for me an emergency consult on Keller,” she explains, pulling Bernie close again. “You’re stuck with me for life whether you want to be or not, but I am sorry I’m late.”

Title: “No,no it’s my treat” Summary: Number 3 of 100 ways to say I love you. Rating: G Word Count: 600 

Part 1, Part 2

It’s been a tough day, and it’s not even close to ending. Serena and Bernie had arrived at work together that morning just to be greeted to the sound of the red phone. A construction site scaffolding collapse had lead to AAU being inundated with trauma patients. They’d tried their best, worked tirelessly, but they still lost two of the four injured workers.

Losing a patient isn’t easy on any doctor, but for some reason Bernie takes it harder than most. Serena isn’t sure if it’s because of her time in the Army or something else, but Bernie always finds loss incredibly tough.

Serena comes back to their office, having checked on the first of the patients that had successfully come out of theatre. She sees Bernie sat at her desk, looking to most like she’s completing paperwork. Serena knows better, though, knows her eyes aren’t scanning quiet fast enough for her to really be reading. Instead Serena knows Bernie is replaying the surgeries over in her head, wondering if there is anything she could have done in either case to change the outcome. There wasn’t anything more either of them could have done, they were fighting a losing battle from the start.

Serena walks over and places her hand on Bernie’s shoulder, squeezing it gently to get her attention and waits until Bernie looks up at her before she speaks, constantly keeping eye contact. “We couldn’t have done anything more, neither of us could. You know their injuries were just too severe, Bernie.”

Bernie nods in return, but it’s clipped and short, and the look in her eyes tells Serena that Bernie just needs a break. It’s well past lunch time, but Serena decides that for ten minutes everything can wait. Ward rounds can wait, paperwork can wait. Bernie needs her.

“Come on,” she says, stepping back, spinning Bernie’s chair to face her and offering a hand to help her up. Bernie takes it and pulls herself to her feet. Serena links their hands, long past worried about what any rumour mill of Holby City Hospital may have to say about their relationship.

She gestures to Raf that the two of them are popping out to Pulses, knowing they both need caffeine and something to eat and that Raf can easily hold the fort for that long.

They place their orders, and when Bernie orders a double shot, something she doesn’t ever do unless she’s on a night shift, Serena knows Bernie needed this break. Bernie adds a pan au chocolate to the end of their order and goes to pay for everything. When Serena thinks about it, though, somehow it’s often Bernie that pays for their coffee. Serena acts quickly and gently pushes Bernie’s hand away.

“No, no, it’s my treat,” she says, smiling softly in Bernie’s direction.

They find a table in the corner to drink their coffees, since Serena knows if they are needed on the ward, someone will page them. They eat in silence, as no words are needed because they understand each other so well without them. Their hands brush occasionally when they reach for their coffees and food, and it pulls small smiles from both of them.

All too soon their break must come to an end. As much as the ward can last without them for a little while, rounds can’t wait forever.