Chapter Text
Bernie was stood out the front of the hospital completely unsure what to do. She’d grabbed the chance to get home a few days early, intending to surprise Serena at work, but now Bernie stood here, she was terrified to go in. It had suddenly occurred to her that she didn’t know where Serena’s ward was, she didn’t know her colleagues, she didn’t even know if she’d be working today!
“Can I help you with something?” A tall man she hadn’t noticed was suddenly hovering by her side, his eyes slightly narrowed as though he was trying to work out where he knew her from.
Could this be Henrik Hanssen? Bernie had never seen a photo of him, but he looked just as Cameron had described him- narrow and a little too tall, but with kind eyes.
“I uh…m-maybe. I’m…I’m looking for Serena-“ Bernie paused then, realising she had no idea which name Serena used at work. Her maiden name, married name? Bernie had never asked.
“You must be Major Wolfe.” The frown on the man’s forehead eased suddenly, and he put out a hand to shake hers. “Henrik Hanssen.”
Through her nervousness, Bernie gave a faint smile. She’d have to tell Cameron just how right his description was.
“She’s not rostered on today-“
“Oh.”
“But I believe she is in the building collecting some paperwork. Right this way, please.” He indicated that she follow him. Hoisting her duffel bag over her shoulder, Bernie did just that, her eyes darting around curiously as they walked.
“Ah, Mr. Griffin! Do you happen to know where Serena is?” Hanssen suddenly stopped beside someone Bernie finally recognised. She’d met Ric once or twice over the last few years.
“Ms Wolfe.” He nodded at her, no hint of what he thought of her sudden arrival showing on his face as he indicated to an office off to one side. “She’s just-“
“MUM!”
A sudden shout had all three heads turning back the way Bernie and Henrik had just walked, a small body barrelling into Bernie before she had a chance to put down her bag.
A second later, a small head peered around the side of the office doorframe that Ric had gestured towards, watching the moment curiously.
The first hug Bernie would get from her children when she arrived home was always bittersweet. She loved the feeling of them in her arms once more and would hug them so tightly that on occasion they would claim they couldn’t breathe, but it also hurt to know they’d missed her and that she’d missed them terribly, and now would only have a limited time with them before going again.
So as she hugged Cameron, pulling him off the ground until his feet dangled in mid-air, Bernie hugged him as tightly as she could, her face burying itself into his neck so she could simultaneously breath him in and wipe away her tears on his top.
“I thought you weren’t home until next month?” Cameron finally pointed out when she’d finally released him, a wobbling smile on her lips.
“Well, surprise!” Bernie opened her arm with a grin, both of them laughing when Cameron launched himself into them again. “I heard someone is in the school play, and I couldn’t miss that, could I?”
Cameron shook his head, stepping away from his mother’s embrace again. “Can I put on your jacket?”
Bernie rolled her eyes and gave a smile. Every time. Dropping her bag finally, she undid her jacket and placed its heavy weight over her son’s narrow shoulders. “It’s going to be too small for you one day, you know!”
“No way, I’ll make myself stop growing before then!” Cameron offered confidently as he did the buttons up and began rolling up the sleeves.
It was at that moment that Bernie caught sight of the small face watching her out of the corner of her eye. A gentle smile replaced her grin and she crouched down, looking at the girl before her. “Hello, princess.”
Charlotte watched her warily, glancing from her brother to her mother, unsure.
“Don’t I get a hug?” Bernie finally ventured gently.
But as Charlotte took one hesitant step towards her, the door beside the girl was suddenly opened fully, Serena appearing.
“Cameron, if you- oh.” Serena had been about to snap at Cameron, who had somehow left the office while she was on the phone. She’d promised they wouldn’t be here long, and in return he’d promised not to run off. But then she saw the woman crouching on the ground, now staring up at her with wide eyes.
Charlotte glanced up at Serena, trying to gauge her reaction to Bernie so that she could mirror it, but all Serena did was stand there, mouth half open, staring.
“Hello, you.” Bernie finally offered, putting hands on her thighs to push herself to her feet.
“What-“ It was all that Serena’s brain seemed to be able to formulate. This wasn’t how it happened. Bernie would give her a time and a date and she’d meet her at the airport. That was always how it was.
“She came back to see me in the school play!” Cameron offered proudly before rushing off to show his friend Henrik his mother’s jacket where he and Ric stood at a polite distance away.
“Oh.”
Just as she had done to Cameron, Bernie’s smile widened and she opened her arms. “Surprise!”
At this, Charlotte burst into tears, and Serena finally drew her eyes away from Bernie to attend to their daughter, pulling her into her arms to reassure her.
“Sorry, I-“ Bernie faltered. This wasn’t how it happened. They were all usually so pleased to see her. First, she’d hug Cam, then Charlotte, then baby Elinor, and then finally she’d hug Serena, always hugged last and longest because inevitably one or both of them would cry.
“Someone at school told her that-“ Cameron began.
“Cam.” Serena offered, warning him, and he apparently decided better of finishing his sentence, shrugging instead before struggling to pick up Bernie’s bag.
“I couldn’t even lift it off the ground last time, and now look!” He pointed out to his mother, the bag an inch off the floor.
“Wow!” Bernie managed, though without much enthusiasm. Her eyes were trained on scene inside the office, where Serena sat Charlotte in her chair and crouched before her, talking quietly as Charlotte brushed away her tears.
“Are you back for good this time?” Cameron ventured hopefully.
Bernie gave him a distracted smile but no response before she moved the last few steps towards the office, hovering in the doorway much as her daughter had done. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you, sweetheart.”
Charlotte looked from one mother to another before finally giving Bernie a tentative smile.
Apparently satisfied that that would have to do for now, Serena pushed herself to her feet and finally favoured Bernie with the smile she’d so longed to see. “Hello, stranger.”
“Serena, isn’t it?” Bernie’s head cocked to one side, a smile playing on her lips.
“How many other wives do you have?” Cameron suddenly grumbled from beside Bernie.
“Oh, you wouldn’t believe if I told you, Cam. Afganistan is the home of harems, and-“ Serena began, eyes twinkling.
“YES, thank you, Serena! No, just the one wife for me, Cam.” Bernie interjected.
“Then why did you ask her name?” Cameron thought perhaps Bernie had been knocked on the head, or perhaps she was going completely mad.
“Because it’s…nevermind.” Bernie shook her head, ignoring her son for a moment to reach out a hand to Serena. “Nice to meet you, Serena.”
“But you already know her!” Cameron cried, exasperated.
“If you’re going to keep interrupting, young man, you can go and help Ric lance that boil I told you about!” Serena looked pointedly at her eldest.
Wrinkling his nose, Cameron slipped further into the room to sit beside his sister.
Finally, Serena reached out to shake Bernie’s hand. As always happened when they first touched, it felt like a jolt of electricity went through them and a sense of calm crashed like a wave over their heads. Bernie, a woman of science, had looked into this phenomenon several times before coming to the conclusion that it couldn’t be explained, it just was. Soul mates, she often thought as her heart slowed and her breath quickened. “Hello, you.” She repeated.
A small smile lit Serena’s face, but one that reached her eyes and made them crinkle. And then finally, she was in Bernie’s arms, breathing her in, holding her close, cursing her tears but refusing to hold them back. She hated Bernie leaving, but she understood that Bernie needed to do it, she always had, so instead she just fought to get this short greeting over and done with so they could, while she was here, pretend to be a normal family with a normal life.
Emboldened by the display, Charlotte finally stepped forward and wrapped her short arms around Bernie’s leg, burying her face in the harsh combat fabric. Bernie lowered a hand to touch her blonde locks softly, aware of how shy Serena had told she’d become recently and unwilling to scare her off again.
“Family hug!” Cameron suddenly yelled, and in typical Cameron style launched himself their way, almost knocking the three of them over with the force of his barrelling hug.
“Much as I enjoy a family hug, aren’t we missing someone?” Bernie finally asked when she’d steadied the group and finally managed to pull Charlotte into her arms, the girls arms now wrapped tightly around her neck, face once more hidden but this time in Bernie’s hair.
“Who?” Serena questioned, pulling back a little with a mystified look.
“Small, cries a lot, likes to blow snot bubbles out her nose.” Bernie smiled.
“Oh! Oh no!” Serena suddenly pulled away, looking at the clock on the wall in a panic before grabbing her hospital pass. “Can you stay here for a- why am I asking, of course you will. I’ll be back soon!” And with that, Serena rushed from the room, her blouse billowing after her.
“...Where’s she going?”
Cameron shrugged as he finally pulled back from the hug. “To get Ellie.”
“And where is Ellie?” Bernie questioned.
Cameron glanced after Serena and then shrugged again.
An uneasy feeling began to settle over her, but Bernie was reluctant to push him, so instead led her children over to the desk, settling them in Serena’s chair before hoisting her bag to rest on the broad wooden desktop. “Ready for your presents?”
“Yes, please!” Cried in unison.
“Hey, you’re supposed to say I’m enough!” Bernie pouted.
Cameron rolled his eyes, too used to this joke, but Charlotte still gave a quiet giggle, kicking her legs happily as she eyed the presents being pulled from the large bag.
"Mummy, look, I got a dog!" Charlotte held up her present happily when Serena returned. The first words she'd heard her say, Bernie's eyes clouded with tears for a moment but were quickly blinked away. Instead, she focused on the baby in Serena's arms.
She'd missed Charlotte's birth by several hours and had been determined not to miss Elinor's, so had taken quite a long time off work both before and after the birth, for the first time changing nappies and feeding day in and day out. She felt as though somehow though she loved her eldest two, this had given her a special bond with Ellie.
A faint but perfect smile lit Bernie's face as she reached out, resting a hand on the chubby, perfect middle of her youngest daughter, her hand immediately grabbed by strong, small hands. As Elinor gave her a gummy smile and kicked her legs happily, Bernie noticed the large bruise developing on the front of one leg. When her eyes lifted to look into Serena's quizzically, the brunette just shook her head, indicating they'd discuss it later.
Bernie let out a sigh of emotion before taking the girl gently in her arms.
She was home.