By the end of the opera, Bernie knew that she would have to thank Henrik profusely for conjuring up the tickets to this affair. If anything, this had been entirely enjoyable, not anything like what she had expected, and so she had followed suit when Serena had leapt to her feet at the end of the performance, applauding wildly with enthusiasm.

"See, it wasn't all bad, was it?" Serena teased as she threaded their arms together, leading Bernie from the box.

"No, you were right, much though it pains me to say. I don't think I'll ever be ready to head to Germany, to see the whole cycle, but tonight was perfect. You were perfect."

Serena blushed a little as they started down the stairs, following the throng of people to the place where the afterparty was going to be held. "I'm nowhere near close that description, and you know it. But I'm glad you see me that way."

"All right, maybe you are a little too obstinate at times, and maybe you don't always let people in, and I definitely know that we have communication issues, even at this point in our relationship, but…" She stopped them at the bottom of the stairs and looked deeply into Serena's eyes. "But you're perfect for me. And that's all that matters."

Leaning down, Bernie kissed Serena deeply, not caring who was watching them in that moment. "Ah, sweetheart, you're perfect for me, too," she murmured as they touched foreheads.

"Good." They giggled a little before once more following the people. Soon, they were in a ballroom, and Bernie sighed as Serena took the lead, bringing her into the middle of the dancefloor and holding her close as they began to sway in time with the soft strains of the music.

Somehow, two hours passed them by in a blur, and Serena was leading her from the building and out to their waiting car. Once more, Bernie found herself sighing at the complete beauty of the moment, and she fought to keep from yawning, knowing that she wanted to be awake for what was to come. "We have a thirty minute drive ahead of us, Bernie. If you want to nap, feel free to rest against me. I'll need your full attention, after all," Serena whispered huskily in her ear. She fought to swallow her moan as she nodded, closing her eyes and resting her head on Serena's shoulder.

Breathing in deeply, Bernie was treated to the aroma of her perfume, and that scent alone was enough to relax her into a light sleep. In her dozing, she could still hear Serena murmuring to her, and a playful smile tugged at her lips when she heard things like 'my darling Bernie' and 'best night of my life'. Still, she was startled when Serena tenderly shook her awake.

"Are we home, then?" she asked sleepily, and a soft sound of agreement slipped from Serena's throat. "Good."

They tumbled out of the car, and Serena stopped to tip the driver before leading Bernie up the walk. The light was on, a tender gesture from Jason that was much appreciated. Serena pulled out her keys and unlocked the door, leading her inside. The delicate scent of candle wax lingered in the air, and Bernie paused to give Serena a quizzical look. "I have no idea," the woman murmured as she balanced Bernie, letting her step out of the stilettos that were killing her feet.

"Well, we'll have to explore before we head upstairs." Serena met her gaze and gave her a little smile as she nodded, hooking arms with Bernie once more as they made their way into the dining room. On the table, a pair of tall white candles were burning, casting a romantic glow to the room. As Bernie's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, she noticed a bottle of Shiraz chilling in an ice bath, along with a large piece of chocolate cake.

"This has Elinor written all over it," Serena whispered as she pulled out a chair for Bernie before taking a seat at another. "I don't know when my girl became such a romantic, but it's rather sweet."

"It is," Bernie replied as her stomach grumbled hungrily. "But there's only one fork."

"Probably because I'm supposed to feed you. After all, we do not want to get that dress dirty. I can only imagine how much you paid for it, and my tuxedo. And you know, we are going to have to plan on another outing, so that I can wear this again. I feel like Gary Cooper."

Bernie laughed as she poured them each a glass of wine. "I was hoping that you would feel like Marlene Dietrich, that was who I had in mind when I went with that. Because there is something damn sexy about a woman in a tux."

"Agreed, my darling." They clinked glasses together before taking a sip of wine. "All right, here's the first bite."

Bernie nodded as she opened her mouth, trying not to seem too eager, knowing that whatever happened, it would be entirely too sensual. As her lips closed around the fork, she focused entirely on Serena, watching her nostrils flare as she licked her lips in response. "Do you think they made this?" Bernie asked after she swallowed, the taste exploding on her tongue.

"I think so." Serena took a bite and Bernie couldn't help but watch her swallow, somehow feeling desire ramp up another notch. "But this is the perfect sort of decadence for the end of our night. And it will fuel our activities, yes?"

"Yes." They shared a smile before finished up the cake and wine. "Should we leave the dishes for the morning?"

"It is morning, Bernie. Jason will be up in five hours to get ready for work, though Ellie will probably laze around for a few hours before she rolls out of bed and makes brunch. One of them will take care of everything, just blow out the candles and follow me."

"Yes, Fraulein," she said as she stood and doused the flames, breathing in the scent. "Let's go."

Serena nodded and held out her hand. Bernie clasped it and allowed Serena to guide her up to the bedroom. "I'm going to check in on Jason and Ellie, actually. Do you mind? I know, it makes me sound like a mother hen, but…"

"They're our children." The words slipped out before Bernie realized what she was saying, and the brilliant smile that lit Serena's face told her everything she needed to know about how she felt about that slip of the tongue. "I know that Cam and Charlotte aren't quite to the same place yet, but we're family. Right?"

She hated sounding so apprehensive, but there was still this hesitation in her when it came to things like this. And then Serena was closing the distance between them and giving her a lush kiss, her hand curving around her neck as she pushed Bernie back towards the wall, her free hand rucking Bernie's leg up around her hip in an effort to get closer to her. "I love you, dearest Berenice," Serena murmured as they broke apart, breathing heavily. Reaching up, she stroked Serena's cheek with the back of her hand.

"And I, you. Now, let's go peek at our little angels."

Serena clapped her hands over her mouth to muffle the bark of laughter that exploded from her gut. "I will remind you of that the next time Jason does something that upsets us." Bernie nodded a little as she sagged against the wall, watching Serena tug at the hem of her tuxedo jacket before heading down the hall to Jason's room.

"He fell asleep with his radio on," Bernie murmured as she stepped into the room and turned it off, watching Serena's face soften into a look of perfect storge love. She hoped the same smile showed on her lips as she came up to her side and wrapped her arm around her waist. "He's fine, now let's check on Ellie."

"Okay." It was a short walk down to the guest room, and Bernie shook her head a little to see how the young woman was sprawled out across the mattress, one leg kicked out from under the covers, he arms beneath her pillow as she snored lightly. "Oh, my sweet girl," Serena whispered as she stepped forward and gently slipped her bare leg under the sheets before bending and kissing her daughter's temple. "Thank you for everything tonight, sweetie."

Elinor groaned in her sleep as she flipped onto her side, curling into a ball as a small smile spread across her lips. Bernie let out a sotto voce laugh as she recognized that particular move, having felt it so often in the night from Serena. "All right, they're fine," she whispered in Serena's ear.

"I know," she whispered in return, grasping Bernie's hand firmly and fairly tugging her over to the master bedroom. "The lights are staying on tonight, Bernie. I want to watch your face as I make you come."

Bernie shivered as she nodded, groping for the light switch to turn it on. It took a long moment for her eyes to adjust, and she gasped a little to see that Serena had already undone her bowtie, the ends trailing down her chest, drawing Bernie's attention to her breasts. "Serena…"

"I know, darling, I know." And then, her lover was stalking towards her, closing the small space between them, pushing Bernie back against the door as she crashed her lips against Bernie's, her hands closing around her bare shoulders as she fitted one thigh between Bernie's legs. "And now, to get this dress off, before we ruin it."

Bernie nodded dumbly as she let Serena lead her over to the bed, gently pushing her to sit on the mattress. "Make certain you take care of the pearls, first. They're more important than a silly dress."

Serena cocked her head to one side before kissing her lightly. "I think that is one of the reasons why I love you so very much," she murmured as she undid the clasp of the necklace before moving over to the dresser and setting it there. Bernie reached out and grabbed hold of the ends of the tie as Serena returned to her, and her lover laughed as she shook her head. "I said that tonight I was taking control. The next thing is to pull out these bobby pins before they dig into your scalp."

Bernie nodded and allowed Serena to tug out the pins, dropping them into her hands. As her hair fell down around her chin, Bernie stared up at Serena through the strands, loving the glimpse this gave her of her lover. "I want to take that jacket off you, Serena."

"All right," she replied as she dropped the bobby pins onto her nightstand. Bernie reached up and pushed the wool coat off Serena's body, catching it before it touched the floor. The shirt was thinner than she had anticipated, and she could clearly see the lace of Serena's bra band through the side of it. "Thankfully, I had a bit of time after my shift Friday to pick up a new bra. Do you want to see it?" Bernie nodded. "Well, that will have to wait. First, the dress."

Bernie tried not to whine as Serena climbed onto the bed, sitting behind her as she untied the lacing and began to pull it out of the grommets, the dress loosening around her chest as her lover worked down her back. And then she felt Serena lean forward and press her lips to the middle of her back, kissing lightly as she trailed her lips down the skin she had uncovered. "That's not fair," she protested, trying to turn towards her lover.

"Oh, I rather think that it is more than fair, Berenice. After all, you have been teasing me all evening!" Serena finally reached the small of her back, and Bernie couldn't help but arch towards her, wanting to be in closer contact with those deliciously maddening lips. A soft gasp tore from her lips as Serena's nimble hands slipped up her back to caress her shoulders before coming down to cup her breasts and tweak her nipples lightly before quickly removing the stimulation. "All right, stand up and step out of that beautiful dress."

Bernie could only nod in return as she got up on strangely wobbly legs, letting the dress pool at her feet. "I don't know if…"

"We'll lay it out over the chair until you can get it home and on the proper hanger." Trust Serena to have a quick, right, answer, and Bernie gave her another nod as she bent and gathered up the dress, carrying it over to the chair and laying it out. She turned to look at Serena, who was giving her an appreciative glance, desire and lust clear in her eyes. "How do you go from princess to goddess so quickly?" she breathed out as she closed the distance between them, running her hands up and down the curves of her hips and waist as she leaned in and kissed her passionately.

"The same way you do," Bernie breathed out as she reached up to play with the collar on Serena's shirt. "Through pure magic."

"Good answer, Wolfe." Serena pecked at her lips once more before leading her back to the bed and pushing her down once more. "Now, keep your eyes trained on me until I tell you to close them."

"Yes, Fraulein." They shared a smile before Serena squared her shoulders and started unfastening the cuffs of her sleeves. "Are those…?"

"Wolf heads? Yes. You're not the only one who is good at working out minor miracles on short notice. I think that we might have a guardian angel looking out for us." Bernie nodded as she watched Serena drop the cuff links onto the nightstand. From there, Bernie watched as Serena undid the waistcoat and teasingly slip it off her shoulders, allowing it to fall to the floor unaided.

"If you key me up too much…"

"I know that you'll bring yourself back from the precipice." Serena ticked an eyebrow up, and Bernie swallowed as she nodded. "Good, I'm glad we're on the same page."

"Of course, Serena."

A small smirk dimpled Serena's face, and Bernie bit the inside of her cheek as she watched the buttons fall apart under Serena's fingers, the skin that was bared to her so pale, so clear. Every time she was treated to this vision, Bernie found her breath stolen away, and this was no different. Unbidden, her hand reached out, wanting to touch and caress and stroke that satiny body. "Not yet, Bernie. Do I need you to sit on your hands?"

"That probably wouldn't get you the result you wanted, either, Serena. After all, if my fingers were down here, oh the wicked things they could do." Bernie waggled said fingers at Serena, knowing that it would drive her wild. What she wasn't expecting was the woman stepping forward and claiming her lips in a harsh kiss, tugging on her hair a little too forcefully to be sweet. "Careful there, darling," she drawled as she pulled back from her lover to recline on her elbows.

"Don't tempt me." Serena's eyes were dark and stormy, the look so familiar to Bernie, and she nodded, not wanting to push her any closer to the brink before she was ready. As the blouse dropped to the floor, Bernie felt her breath sucked from her lungs. The slightly thicker front of Serena's shirt had disguised the fact that she had worn a shelf bra, the wires and lace and fabric cupping the underside of her breasts so beautifully, as if she was offering them to Bernie.

"I think that I should say the same thing to you," she said lowly. "Please, Serena?" Her lover finally nodded in agreement, drifting towards Bernie until there was only scant inches between them. Slowly, slowly, Bernie encircled Serena's torso with her arms, splaying her hands out on her back as she pressed her lips first to the spot where she knew Serena's heart rested in her chest before blazing a path down her breast to capture one taut nipple between her lips. A feral growl slipped from Serena's lips as she buried her hands in Bernie's hair, holding her close.

And suddenly, it didn't matter anymore who was supposed to be taking the lead, who was supposed to be receiving pleasure, the overwhelming passion swept across them too hot to be contained any longer. With a flick of her fingers, Bernie had undone the bra clasp and tugged it from Serena's shoulders before making quick work of the tuxedo trousers, giving them a forceful yank so that they would fall to the ground.

Once Serena was as naked as Bernie, she straddled her, pushing Bernie back onto the mattress and hovering above her, staring into her eyes. "You are mine," she murmured as she trailed her hand down Bernie's torso and slipped it beneath her pants to cup her vulva, her thumb rubbing slickly against her folds before she fitted two fingers into her channel, curling them just so, quickly seeking out Bernie's g-spot as she kissed her deeply.

Bernie tried to hang on to her control, but found that the nimble way in which Serena's hand worked at her sex was too distracting, and she gave herself over to the waves of pleasure that coursed through her system, making her see stars. The orgasm came quick and strong, since she had been so keyed up throughout the performance.

Flopping back on the bed, Bernie breathed heavily as she gazed up at her lover, the warm smile on her face mirrored on Serena's. "I rather think that we belong to each other," she murmured as she pulled Serena down. Serena sighed as she relaxed on Bernie, resting her head on her breasts. The woman purred as Bernie began to drag her fingers through Serena's short brunette hair. "Really, I think that this might have been one of the better times in my life. It ended so well, after all."

"That it did, Bernie." A loud yawn escaped Serena's lips. "I'm sorry, but this opera does tire me out so. Do you mind if we fall asleep before I let you have your way with me?"

Bernie laughed as she shook her head. "I think that sleep would be most welcome now, Serena. After all, we can't have you falling asleep in the middle of sex, can we?"

"I don't think you're that boring in bed!" Serena pressed her lips to the swell of Bernie's breast. "In fact, the things that you've taught me rival any of the first fumblings I had with my high school boyfriend. If I had had you in my life back then, I think things might have taken a distinctly different turn."

"If I could be selfish, I don't think that we would have worked out back then. I have the feeling that we were meant to find each other at this point in our lives, to heal each other from the wounds of life." Bernie dropped a kiss to the first bit of Serena that her lips could touch, and sighed along with her as they wrangled the sheets up to cover them. "Besides, I like this you too much to ever want to turn back time. It was seriously worth the seven hours of Hell to find this Heaven with you." Serena let out a murmur of assent before she started to lowly talk about how they would spend their morning off. Bernie just listened to her lover plan, feeling contentment fill every pore of her body. She was right, this was where she wanted to be, at this point in her life. No more running, no more hiding. She was Serena's until the end of time.