Chapter Text
Bernie is swiftly coming up to 50 and she really, really doesn’t want to reach that age, not alone at least. Her life as a washed up, got the biggest crush on her best friend, sexually frustrated lesbian is going quite well thank you (not!). And Serena, her best friend, something that Bernie herself would love to change, has tried now for the past week to get her to have a party, a meal, a have a once in a lifetime holiday, but in fairness there isn’t really anywhere on this planet that Bernie hasn’t visited, so that was a no go, just to do something special, mind blowing. But every time Serena broaches the subject of Bernie’s birthday to her, she was shot down in flames or bullets. To the point that Bernie has threatened Serena that she will kill her in one of the 13 different ways she knows with her bare hands alone……..Yeah ok!They both know that Serena won’t let a little thing like that stand in her way at all!
Serena’s next plan was to get blindly drunk, let me clarify a little……she intends for Bernie to get completely rat arsed and for her to stay moderately sober whilst on this mission, this mission that she will single handedly do because that is what best friends do right?. She knows Bernie very well now, she knows what her drinking kryptonite is and what gets her lips free flowing when she is like this (or very soon to be), blind drunk. She needs to do this so she can get her to open up, fill her in on what exactly does Major Bernice Wolfe want for her 50th Birthday no less; so she can do this one thing for her best friend, the one who has had her back all this time.
There is only one problem with this, that is Major Bernice Griselda Wolfe, winner of all the drinking competitions going. So much so if there was an olympic sport in drinking, Bernie would have the gold medal, World Record, European record and Olympic record already in her name.
Serena needs to get sneaky, very sneaky, so she starts her plan of action at Albie’s, their usual (one of many) watering hole. Having arrived slightly earlier than the Major, Serena has a quick word with the bartenders for the night, asking that she is served water when asked for a vodka and lemonade, or just lemonade and to put her tipple in Bernie’s as extra; they all were wary but Serena flirts them into submission.
With a waft of snow through the door Serena turns to see Bernie following Raf and Fletch; they are laughing about something or other, Bernie playfully slaps Fletch on the upper arm calling him a cheeky bugger but then she halts, meets Serena’s eyes and smiles, turns and walks over to her and takes the awaiting drink. “Hard stuff tonight Major, we are on the vodka and lemonade.” Bernie tilts her head wonders what Serena is up to then caves, she needs a drink after seeing her ex-husband on the ward belittling her again. She has had to put up with his little jibes all day, never once letting her pass without a nasty comment or two including in ear shot of the patients.
The first quadruple vodka goes down the hatch almost in one go, a screwed up face, a large gasp as it burns, then orders another. Serena turns and gives the bartender a wink and a smile, knowing that her plan is coming together quite nicely. Hoping for it to continue this way.
“Hows your day been, I have hardly seen you today. In fact I could have used you as a buffer.” Serena looks at Bernie apologetically she was stuck in board meetings all day, that and trying, using all her favours to get her and Bernie off for the week of her 50th Birthday. Hence the need for a locum doctor, to get used to the running of the trauma bay as not just any doctor is needed to keep it afloat. Serena has practically signed her soul to the devil to get them both the week off and to keep it a secret from said birthday girl. As usual she has used everything that she has in her power to get her own way, she just now needs to find out what the birthday girl wants to do. A spa day? A week on the beach somewhere? A Dr Who convention perhaps?
One way or another tonight is the night that she is going to find out, come hell or high water.
“Oh you know what the boardroom is like, you can’t please them all, using the fire extinguisher to put out fires that are surely going to come back and bite us on the bottom sooner or later but at least we are rid of Guy Self.” Bernie nodded, as much as she would love Serena to be on the ward with her, the last thing that Bernie wants is to be cooped up in the boardroom playing devils advocate and referee with the staff of the hospital and its board members. That she will leave up to Serena and Henrik any day of the week thank you very much.
They chat about their days, Bernie moans about Marcus, glad she has spoken to Cam and is slightly heartbroken that Charlotte still barely says two words to her but at least it is now polite.
Serena moans about the latest newest member of the board, the one that doesn’t take no for an answer when he is insistent on taking Serena out for a ‘date’ and her reply is ‘I am sorry but I am busy for the foreseeable future’, she has even tried ‘sorry I am spoken for’ but a little digging on his behalf finds that she is single and has been since a Robbie the Bobby was kicked to the curb.
After a brief moment of silence Bernie enquires with a tickle cough, “why don’t you appease the man and go for a drink, maybe then he will leave you alone?” She is kicking herself mentally for even suggesting it, what happens if she actually agrees to the suggestion? Serena shakes her head, “oh I think I have found the solution for getting him to leave me alone, its worked for the last 2 hours of the board meeting at least.” Bernie watches as Serena’s devilish eyes twinkle and the grin appears, “what have you done Fräulein?” The grin keeps getting bigger and bigger, Bernie takes a sip of her drink and Serena leans in and explains, soon the mouthful of vodka and lemonade was spat all down Fletch’s back, both of them in fits of laughter. “I have told you before Fräulein, its naughty to tease the lesbians but it is devilishly naughty to tease the men saying you have turned lesbian……unless you have and you have forgot to tell me? Your best friend and all!” Bernie’s cheeks burned as she was saying it and it wasn’t from the vodka, Serena shrugged her shoulders “may have!” She says before leaving a speechless Bernie to get another drink for them both and a apology to Fletch.
Serena brings the next set of drinks to their table and turns her body to face her best friend, “what is it? Why the face?” She asks, as Bernie is now doing a very good job of looking like goldfish. “What…..wh……..what do you mean may have?” Serena shrugs her shoulders and did wonder when Bernie would have caught up on the remark she made a short while ago. “I have gone off men, so I may try my luck with the ladies, after all, this way we can go searching for one for each together. Maybe it was that nightclub that we went to the other month, the one where you found that rather attractive red head.” Bernie thinks she may have been posted to outer Mongolia with what Serena has been actually saying; She can hear what Serena is saying, can see her mouth moving as well but cannot believe what is exactly coming out of her mouth.
They went for a night out on the town, on the pull as the youngsters say now a days. Serena is trying to get Bernie to find a suitable potential girlfriend, she wants Bernie to stop pining after someone who in her words ‘is utterly gorgeous, got cleavage that you can sink your face in and very, very, straight.’ (This was said while she was drunk while having a lots of shots and partaking in truth or dare game with the AAU team, on their monthly night out).
There is only one problem going out on the pull with your best friend (for Serena), even though you have the best of intentions for your best friend, you simply can’t help being a little jealous, not of your best friend but of her potential new partner. Oh and not realising it until someone is hitting on said friend.
The second problem is in them going out on the pull together (for Bernie) is the fact that she has been pining over Serena for months now, who is oblivious to this fact and is encouraging her to find a girlfriend who is NOT her!
However she does get to watch said friend talking to a stunning redhead who certainly has the hots for the blonde. Serena leaves them to talk but stays within a distance so that she can see if Bernie make a run for the hills if and when things get steamy; luckily it doesn’t!
She has done this already, headed to Kiev without an explanation on why she is going apart from ‘I just need to sort myself out, that’s all.’ In turn on this night out Serena has no end of ladies that wants to dance with her, thoroughly enjoying the attention that she is getting, only goes back to Bernie when she sees the red headed woman slip her phone number to Bernie, placing it directly in Bernie’s arse pocket, and kissing her very close to her lips before leaving with a wave, heading off with her friends, to another club Bernie states but refuses to follow.
Bernie never did ring the red head.
Now back to Albie’s.
A few more drinks behind them and Bernie has only just began to start to slur her words. “Come back to mine Major, Jason is staying with Alan this weekend so we can drink as much as we want without getting moaned at.” Bernie stands a little wobbly, Serena uses the app on her phone to order them a taxi and they say their goodbyes; leaving when the text pings to say the taxi is en-route.
On the route home Bernie tries to tell Serena that she wants to kiss her, but instead she says “you’ve never kissed a woman, so how?” Serena chuckles, looks at Bernie and plants a closed mouth kiss straight on her lips, leaves it lingering for a few short seconds before moving back into her seat. “There Major, see, now I have.” Bernie tilts her head, “that's not a proper kiss this is!” Bernie pulls Serena in for a lip smacking, tongue lashing kiss. Bernie doesn’t speak again until she gets back to Serena’s, its not that she won’t speak, it is that she can’t. Serena has just placed the briefest of kisses on her lips and she returned that lovely soft kiss with a proper full on snog.
She can now die a happy woman.
Serena wonders what the hell has just happened? Did Bernie actually want that? For heavens sake she know she wanted it, it is the first time in her life that someone has kissed her with such fiery passion. There was only one issue, that was Bernie was drunk and that was her doing. Yes she enjoyed the kiss, she enjoyed it very much but she wasn’t about to read anything into it.
Mores the pity.
‘I will have to just focus on what she wants for her birthday and forget that ever happened.’