Work Text:
***Frankenstein***
Serena has never really seen Bernie cry, she thinks she may have come close, once or twice she had seen Bernie’s eyes water, her one eye twitch slightly and a small sniffle. But never full on crying. Until their first Christmas, and to say she was surprised at what did eventually set her big Macho army medic off would be the understatement of the century...
3 weeks before Christmas
They are nestled together on the sofa snug under a warm blanket, Bernie with a whisky tumbler and Serena with her old faithful, Shiraz. The Coca Cola advert comes on with the lorry.
"It's officially Christmas!" Serena says joyfully raising her glass up to the television, she turns her head to look at Bernie "you know it's Christmas when the Coca Cola advert comes on" she says eyes sparkling.
Bernie smiles at her chuckles a little "is that so?"
"Don't you think so?...It's the only Christmas advert I like, because it's like a tradition every year, unlike these new insufferable John Lewis adverts that insist on ruining perfectly good songs by changing the whole bloody melody so it's positively unrecognisable!" Serena gestures with her glass, the red liquid swishing dangerously around the edge.
"Steady on there Ms.Campbell, nearly lost your nectar in my lap then" Bernie teases...."honestly" she continues "I've never really paid much attention, I was away most Christmases so wasn't really whiteness too many Christmas advertisements...or to anything in the lead up to Christmas at all really" she glances down at her amber liquid briefly, feeling a little sad "didn't really have time to think about it until the actual day, the kids would tell me things when I'd call but missed out on the build-up"
Serena brushes the back of her fingers across Bernie’s cheek, places a soft kiss on her jaw line "well, your home now major, we will create our own traditions" she says with another peck this time to her lips before turning her attention back to the television. Bernie squeezes her arm a little tighter around her lover’s waist to show she appreciates the sentiment.
The last advert to come on before Coronation Street commences tells a story about a woeful looking Frankenstein who finds a music box in the snow. He fixes the music box he's discovered and leaves his lonely cold cottage to head into the nearby town where folk of all ages are gathered to sing carols and see the towns Christmas tree. Bernie finds herself enthralled in the story, the man reminds her of her grandfather not that her grandfather even remotely resembled Frankenstein, but he has sad eyes, like her grandfather’s eyes and a crooked smile, like her grandfather’s smile and she can't help the watering of her eyes and the pull at the corners of her mouth as she allows herself to reminisce, staying at her grandparents’ house with her brothers on Friday evenings when her mother and father would go out dancing. Her grandmas homemade rice pudding that they would eat for supper crossed legged on the floor in front of the black and white television watching Benny Hill and On The Buses. Her grandfather making them tea with one teabag shared between all five cups, telling them stories about the war as she sat on his shoulders playing hairdresser. Sometimes he would play hide and seek with them, she remembers sitting in the cloakroom under the stairs for two hours once only relenting because she desperately needed to pee. Years later she discovered that it was all a ruse so he could "have five minutes peace" and a sneaky woodbine out in the garden. She loved her grandfather she was always his favourite, she suspected because she was the only girl and quieter, more reserved than her siblings.
Her focus is drawn back to the television, the sad Frankenstein is standing in the town square with Christmas lights screwed into the bolts at his neck, he begins to sing along to the music box but a bulb goes out, he stops, the town folk stare at him like he's a monster, he bows his head in shame. His sad eyes show his sorrow, his crooked smile fades. Bernie can feel it, the pressure behind her eyes, the lump in her throat, the heaviness in her chest...no, no no she thinks, I cannot cry at a bloody advert! She blinks fiercely trying to push the threatening tears back down but now there's a small girl on the screen, she cautiously walks toward the monster, fixes his bulb, smiles at him so sweetly and begins to sing...and the crooked smile returns, the sorrow in his eyes turns to hope and he sings again. The towns folk soften and join in with the song and the Frankenstein stands proud joy and happiness playing out on his features. And Bernie can't stop it, the tears that she's suppressed start to spill over her lashes the ache in her chest pushing up the lump in her throat and a sob escapes her lips before she can even think about containing it.
Serena leans her head back, looks at Bernie "oh my darling" she begins, turning her body to see her better "whatever's the matter?"
"It...It’s...just...I..." but Bernie can't speak she tries to turn her head away, self-preservation she thinks. But Serena is having none of that, she cups her cheek rubs the tears away with her thumb, kisses her eye lids, "tell me" she says softly. And just like the little girl hiding in the cloakroom under the stairs all those years ago Bernie relents buries her head into Serena’s shoulder and cries. Serena holds her strokes her hair whispers that it's okay. The sobbing subsides and Bernie sniffs brings her head up again.
"I’m sorry" she starts sniffs again looks to the side then back at Serena "it's just that...that man on the advert, he...he sort of reminded me of my grandfather" she lets out a half laugh half cry whilst brushing stray tears from her cheeks with her fingertips. Serena catches her hand squeezes her fingers and cocks her head with a warm smile encouraging her to go on.
"I know how that must sound" Bernie continues "he wasn't a bit like Frankenstein" it comes out as a breathy laugh "but his eyes, his smile...his kindness he was like that" Serena brings Bernie’s hand up to her mouth, kisses her knuckles and rubs her cheek against them "my dear Berenice, you need never apologise for showing any emotion or feeling to me...and I'm sure that wherever he is now, your grandfather, that he is as proud of you as I am" Serena’s eyes are warm and Bernie’s knows her by now, knows she means it, knows she wants to ask more but doesn't....because she knows Serena knows her too...