Chapter Text
June 16th 1967
"I'm pregnant" she said. And Bernadette just knew what it meant.
Two months ago, her friend disclosed how she was assaulted while she was walking through the college she used to teach. For her friend, it was just an assault, but she knew it was a rape.
When Bernie asked her husband to help with her friend's case, he had said "She's a whore; she sure deserved it." And it broke her heart, hearing her husband talk about her friend in such a bad way.
"What can I do?" she asked, and it hit her when she realized she couldn't do anything but listen and be there when she needed it. Even though she didn't answer her question, she knew she couldn't help her in any other way than being there when she needed it.
It was a sunny day in spring. The children were at the park with their father, so they went for a walk in New York City. Somehow it made Serena feel better, as if she was being supported, even though she had no family left. Bernadette was the closest thing to family that Serena had at the moment.
While Bernadette had three kids with her husband Joe, Serena didn't have a family of her own before becoming pregnant. And despite the fact that she became pregnant because of the worst day of her life, she found the strength to keep going... Because of that life growing inside her.
July 21st 1967
A month later, she found out the gender of the baby she was expecting.
Her first instinct was to go to Bernie's house; she needed to tell her. And so she did visit Bernie that day.
"Hey darling, it's good to see you." It was the first thing she said when she saw her. Bernie could see that her belly had grown since the last time she visited, which was a month ago. "What's up?" She asked, and could see a half smile in her friend's features.
"Well..." she had said, sitting on the couch behind her and making herself comfortable, "I've found out the gender of the baby." She left out a sigh after saying it. She hadn't thought about any names for the baby until today "It's a girl" her friend smiled at her as she said it.
She could tell that Bernie was amused; she had three boys, so she couldn't imagine what it would be like to raise a girl on her own. "Have you thought about her name?" She asked, maybe she was rushing her, but she was really curious to know what her friend had chosen to name her baby.
"Her name is going to be Olivia..." She whispered, as if saying her name was the most sacred secret she was going to tell someone.
“Oh that's a beautiful name, for what I know it's going to be a beautiful girl” She was sure her friend's baby was going to be a beautiful girl, just as her friend was.
She had found in that moment, that she admired Serena. She went through the most horrible night that a woman could go through and despite the fact that no one believed her, she was able to smile whenever she was asked about her pregnancy.
She knew her friend will surely love this baby as she wished her parents had loved her when they had her. And also she knew, and was sure about it, that she will protect that baby with her life.
February 13rd 1968
She knew it was time.
It was a cold February night, the day where her water broke. She was afraid, as she didn't know what to do next. So again she just called the only person she knew.
“Hello” she could hear that the voice at the other side of the line was scared, at the same time as she tried to breath.
“Bernie, I think it's time for the baby” She simply knew what it meant. She hung up the phone and rose up to go to Serena's department.
“What the hell you think you are doing?” Joe asked her then, waken up, by the noises that were made in the bedroom.
“My friend is giving birth to her first baby, and not even hell would stop me from being too her for her” she just said as she looked up for her purse.
“You have children of your own, Bernadette, you need to take care of them first!” She heard him screaming, but she didn't care.
“Are you telling me I don't take care of my children because I'm going to take care of my friend for only a night?! Is it real?!” She screamed back.
She couldn't understand her husband, because she couldn't complain about him going out with his friends who got all wasted about cheap whiskey and did a lot of bad things, which she didn't want to know. Risking to lose his job, because he was a fucking cop, and with it lose the only source of money they had to feed their children and give them the life they sure deserved. But when she wanted to go and help her friend, who was in labor and then to have her baby alone... He complained and said that was her being a bad mother for her children.
“I'm going to her home, you better take care of our children. Because they aren't just my children, we both are the parents, so put your shit together and take care of our children, Joe. Because my friend needs me and I'm sure as hell I'm going to be there for here, because it's what friends do”.
She went to her car, and then realized that her hands were shaking. She didn't really gave a damn about his husband, she wanted to be the support her friend surely needed while giving birth alone.
“Hey Serena. It's me, Bernie”. She said in front of the door of her apartment.
“I thought you weren't coming, my water just broke” Bernadette was hard for her to breathe.
“Let's get you to the hospital, you're in labor dear”. They walked out of Serena's apartment and then, they hailed a cab to the nearest hospital.
Three hours later
She could see her friend through the window in the room. She was pushing, just like every woman does when she gives birth. Her face is red from the effort she puts into pushing.
It was two minutes later, she heard a cry. She could see the baby, a tiny one compared to her baby boys when they were born.
Then she saw how a nurse cleaned up the little baby.
An hour later, she could enter into her friend's room “I knew you could do it” she said when she first saw her. She smiled at the view in front of her.
She was glad that she could be there to support her, as she wished she could continue to support her now that her baby was born.
“Thanks for being here for us, Bernie” She thanked her, and then smiled looking at her new born.
Bernie thought a lot about what friendship was these days. She liked to believe, that a friend was a person who supported you in your ups and your downs and a person who rooted for you don't matter what.
She knew she wanted to be that person for Serena, as she wished Serena was her person.