Night was settling in, a few independent stars dotted the sky, sparkling like hidden diamonds under a dark paradise. Paradise. The word repeated in Serena's head as her eyes remained transfixed on what wasn't quite within her reach. She suddenly grasped at a memory - of blonde curly hair bouncing and parted lips howling in laughter as rather questionable music sounded in the background and a somewhat tipsy brunette toppled ungracefully onto the floor - One legged king eagle pose indeed.

Serena looked away, glancing at the patter of tiny raindrops appearing on the glass, shimmering. Paradise was inching closer and a storm was brewing. A bottle of Shiraz sounded increasingly attractive right now-

Hearing the door open, Serena was shaken out of her brief reprieve and turned to identify the figure standing at the door - regretting it instantly when she met the face of a one Ms Bernie Wolfe. Speaking of attractive... God couldn't this woman just make her life a little bit easier and either grow a few worts on her face (not that that would stop this) or stay out of the same room as her for more than 10 minutes?

"Serena. Urm... Everything today, the whole mess with Cameron, I'm so sorry" She added, softer this time, "I don't want it to affect us". Serena begrudgingly listened, wanting to give Bernie the benefit of the doubt - she would have done the same for Eleanor after all, and made it up to Bernie later... As she glanced at Bernie, she noticed how the distance between them had shrunk by several feet. She had heard the soft tone of her voice, recognising the remorse, yet she couldn't bring herself to forgive yet. Damn it she was angry! But as that thought settled in, she realised how hypocritical it sounded. Sighing and glancing away, Serena responded with a simple, yet hidden, truth.

"You asked me what I would do if it were Eleanor"

"Yes" She saw Bernie turn her head to the side but immediately returned when she resumed talking. Serena saw her move in her peripheral vision and felt the inevitable tug, that pull of electromagnetism that seemed to close the space when they were in close proximity. This was dangerous, she needed out now.

"I would do whatever it took to keep her close" Bernie slowed down a fraction and before Serena could stop it, she had revealed even more.

"That's what love is I suppose, defending the indefensible" Fixing a determined gaze, she took one last glance at Bernie, expecting her own resolve to steer Bernie away for now and offer that light reprieve once more but what she saw stopped her breath and made her gasp involuntarily. Vulnerability there certainly was, but not only of the guilty variety, or even of friendship. There was an unguarded look in the medics eyes and before Serena could stop it, she flashed a matching one for a fraction of a second before the wall went firmly up again and she muttered a brief "goodnight" before hastily grabbing her bag and walking towards the door.

Bernie wasn't having that. She had spotted that look, a crack in the ever so controlled and stubborn demeanour they both so fiercely embodied. They had both finally revealed a part of themselves only previously danced upon and flirted around and now she was going to just walk away?! As bloody selfish as it was she needed them back.

Acting before she could stop herself, her left hand shot out and grabbed Serena's arm as she went to exit. Bodies snapped to attention as if shot by electricity. It might as well have been, the ever-present energy between them moving at a million miles per second crackling as though waiting on baited breath... Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, Bernie turned her body to rest a hand on the lockers next to Serena, attempting to steady herself against the raging feelings racking her body, letting out a shaky breath as she moved. Serena felt rather than saw her move, her senses focused solely on Bernie's hand burning her skin and a sudden hot breath on the side of her neck causing goosebumps to appear there.

The tension tightened, both women almost frozen in position, desperate for something... anything to happen...

"Look at me" the words were spoken so softly Serena wondered if she had heard them at all or if it was just her mind interpreting those teasing tickles of air along her skin, but the squeeze of Bernie's hand against her own a second later gave her her answer. I can't-

"Look at me!" there was no mishearing it this time, the high-pitched desperation in her voice willing her to make eye contact, reaching out to her.

"Why?" she asked her resoundingly, a flicker of that strength Bernie loved so much.

"Because I need you to" the sheer vulnerability in Bernie's voice was enough to make Serena turn her head, let alone the weight of the words. Bernie was straight forward, tough as old boots, blunt, and intense. Of course she had seen glimpses of that fragile woman underneath but only when she herself had shown it first. Bernie Wolfe was never weak.

Slowly turning her head, their eyes met, breaths catching and holding. They were so close... their faces a hairbreadth apart. The tension crackled and heat stirred as their eyes dropped to each others mouths, fluttering shut automatically when their lips finally brushed against each other... so softly it teased.

The instant their lips connected the electricity sparked, mouths opening wider and meeting for the first taste, heat searing between them. As Bernie's hand left Serena's to cup the side of her cheek and deepen the kiss, Serena shifted her hand, dropping her bag to the floor with a thud.

Bernie broke the kiss with a soft smack- "Serena-"

"Don't speak Bernie just-" Bernie kissed her deeply then, tilting her head to breath in the smell of Serena's skin. Running her hands up Serena's sides she clawed at Serena's shoulders, yanking her coat and cardigan off, wanting to feel every curve of her body. As Bernie whipped it to the floor, bodies touched flushed to one another, heads tilting further and mouths opening to pure tongue-sex explorations. As hands frantically fondled, grasped and tangled in each others hair, both women felt the urge to take it further. More and more and just to keep bloody going...

Bernie grasped at Serena's waist, her fingers digging into the edges of her arse as she spun them around, eyes spotting a small on-call room - a much more private space for this particular encounter.

Serena took her brief distraction as the perfect opportunity to play naughty herself. Taking one hand away from Bernie's shoulder she ran it from her collar bone, between two mounds of perfect flesh before slowing down when she reached her stomach. Feeling the muscles contract and Bernie gasp, kissing her harder, Serena new she had her. With one sharp tug on Bernie's bottom lip, the momentum shifted, small shifting steps suddenly strides as Bernie slammed Serena against solid wood.

Serena was rapidly losing all control, having not been touched at all for quite some time (and a little more besides), the initial kiss alone had sent neurons firing to her brain faster than a jumbo jet. The last few minutes was one big heated blur and the combination of being pinned by one incredibly hot macho army medic and the knowledge that months of tension had finally reached a crescendo was frankly making her knees a little wobbly-

Oh God! And that didn't bloody help either!-

Bernie ran her tongue from the crook of her shoulder up her neck, feeling Serena's pulse dance. "Jesus Christ Bernie, are we really doing this?" Serena gasped out, her breath hitching on the last word as Bernie flickered her ear lobe before meeting her eyes with a smirk, keeping their faces inches apart.

Panting harshly into the warm space between their bodies, eyes locked and Bernie smiled as they breathed each other in. Serena almost sighed in relief when she saw the familiar look. Up until now, she had been under a dizzy spell of pleasure, spinning higher and higher by herself, afraid she was leaving the Bernie she knew behind, but there she was in all her first-rate teasing glory.

Bernie suddenly replied "That's major to you" and that was it. Serena met her curl of the lip and eyes sparkled as she retorted "Only when I feel like it"

Chuckling deeply and cracking a flirtatious smile, Bernie shifted her body slightly, bending her knee and pushed it in between Serena's legs, watching closely as she let out a guttural moan and thrust against her. Eyes wide and pupils fully dilated, Bernie inwardly danced a merry jig around Serena's desk, knowing full well that tight resolve Serena embodied would very soon be broken, and in several positions if she had her way. Bringing her eyes down, she looked at the dip in Serena's cleavage, noting the little beads of sweat gathering there and decided she would kiss there first. Coming back up to meet her eyes, Bernie whispered "Wanna get naked with me?". A second passed and Serena gave her trademark smile, kissing Bernie deeply whilst grabbing the handle hap-haphazardly.

Stumbling into the room, tongues tangled and the door was kicked shut. Bernie's arm wrapped around Serena's waist caused her top to rise, sliding her hand against soft skin as she used their current position to lift it straight over Serena's head, her own quickly following. Turning her attention to Serena's neck once more, hands roaming over Serena's waist and stomach, she felt nimble fingers tugging on the bow of her scrub bottoms followed swiftly by two fingers suddenly stroking over her throbbing vagina.

Moaning loudly, Bernie had had enough. They were alone and she needed her, NOW. Serena was having identical thoughts, her breath coming in pants as she felt the undeniable heat emanating from the dampness between Bernie's legs.

Suddenly dropping to her knees, Bernie planted her hands on one Serena Campbell's rather delectable arse and looked up at her with an incredibly naughty look in her eye. As much as she wanted to take her hard and fast against the nearest surface, she absolutely loved teasing this woman and after her recent stunt figured it was her turn to inflict some torture.

Looking down, her hands on Bernie's shoulders, Serena knew what was coming... Watching closely as blonde hair made contact with her trousers, she almost fainted when a tongue flicked out and undid the button. Good grief was there no end to this woman's talents?! She clenched hard at the thought causing Bernie to chuckle again when she bucked her hips. Exposing her teeth she pulled at the zipper and yanked the fabric down Serena's legs, standing up before she had a chance to explore her. Later.

Serena pounced as soon as Bernie was at her level, sucking her bottom lip hard and tugging her forwards in battle. Bernie was so distracted by the sensation of Serena's strong mouth sucking on the piece of pink flesh at the top of her body she let out a little squeak when cool air hit below. Clad in only their underwear and kicking away remaining obstacles, hands grasped at shoulders and hair, naked torsos connected and they collapsed onto a bed in the corner of the room, a tangle of limbs and panting kisses.