Serena found herself staring out the window of the plane as it taxied down the runway. She found that a part of her heart would truly miss Nairobi, since it was the place that had given her back her heart, but she was also excited to finally head home and be able to hold Guinevere close and interact with her colleagues, and just get back into a smoother routine. Bernie chuckled a little, catching her attention, and Serena turned her head to look at her lover. "What?"

"You are staring out that window like you can find all the answers to the universe outside."

"Maybe I can," she shot back, winking at Bernie as she settled into her seat, lifting up the armrest so that they could sit as close together as possible during the long flight. "Are you looking forward to seeing Cameron again?"

"I don't know. We've left things in a sort of nebulous place, since he doesn't seem to want to listen to my advice. Apparently, he's taken a shine to the new YAU department head's daughter."

"Oh, god," Serena muttered as she leaned back in her seat, trying not to clutch at Bernie's hand as they took off. Even though she knew that things were perfectly safe, there was still that momentary stab of panic at leaving the ground that she could never quite control. "Henrik's sent me a few emails about Ms Goddard, and it sounds like I'm going to be walking into a minefield upon my return. I would advise Cameron to keep his distance from the whole family until this Holly Cartwright business blows over. I was the one who advised Henrik to take the case to the court system, since it became such a terrible muddle."

"Sounds like you need to whip the troops into shape, fräulein," Bernie replied before checking her with her shoulder. Serena laughed as she shook her head, turning her body so that she could look at Bernie as she slung an arm around her waist, finding herself content to now stare at her partner's face rather than the scenery.

"I don't know if I want to be a heavy hand, though, darling. Sometimes a light touch is best." She knew that the way she lowly pitched her voice always got to Bernie, and she smirked at her when she squirmed in her seat. "Sometimes, you only need one finger…"

"And sometimes we're in a metal tube, hurtling through the sky, and can't do things with a gentle touch." There was a slight growl to her words, and she knew that she was getting to Bernie. "We're both of an age where we cannot join the mile-high club!"

"But darling, we do have a blanket at our disposal, and I can be oh so quiet when need be."

"No, Serena. Neither of us can afford to be arrested as soon as we land."

She pouted a little as she nodded, knowing that Bernie was right. She had just wanted to tease her a little, knowing that it would be quite easy to rile her up, and help her feel a little better upon leaving her dream job behind. "I suppose that I will defer to you, Bernie. After all, I would hate for you to hurt your back, too."

Bernie nodded before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. They fell quiet for a little while, and Serena yawned a few times before Bernie finally spread the blanket out over her, allowing her to sleep a little bit. It was still a light sleep, as she was awakened by the sound of the food cart making it's way down the aisle, and she sat up and stretched before trying to crack her back and staring out the window once more. "Can you see anything but clouds?"

"No," she murmured as she welcomed Bernie's hand on her shoulder as she leaned in and stared out the window with her. "I wish that we could see more, though. I don't know if we'll ever get back to this part of the world." Her partner nodded against her, and she smiled as she reached up to cover Bernie's hand, squeezing softly as she leaned back against her.

"There will be time for holidays, Serena. We could even get one of those maps and put pushpins in it, to indicate where we've been, and where we want to go."

"I like the way you think," she replied lowly as the flight attendant cleared her throat. They sat back in their seats and Serena smiled thinly at her. "I'll take the chicken," she replied, knowing that that was always an option on flights, and the woman nodded, giving them both a small smile when Bernie asked for the same thing. "I wish that I had thought to pick up snacks in the airport."

"That would have been a tad bit better than this, yeah," Bernie replied as she pulled back the foil on the small tin that held their meal.

"Ah well, I'm certain that Jason will have something good ready for us once we get home." Bernie nodded and poked and prodded at the food. Rolling her eyes gently, she opened her own entrée and ate out the best parts of it before devouring her roll and washing it down with apple juice she had ordered. Bernie finished up shortly after her, and then they were cuddling together once more, watching the flight map on the back of the seat. "Only a few more hours, and we'll be back in England. After a few months away, it doesn't seem real."

"We could always go back," Bernie teased, rubbing her hand up and down Serena's arm.

"We could, but I think Jason would permanently disown me. I feel like I'm continually running from place to place, like my home isn't my home anymore. It is a disconcerting feeling, let me tell you." She turned her head to look at Bernie, feeling a few tears start to slip down her cheeks. "I'm sorry to be so maudlin, Berenice."

"It is perfectly okay to be maudlin when you've been through so much over the last few years."

"You've been through more, and have come out on the other side a whole person. It's just me that's broken, jealous, and overwrought." Bernie shook her head, running her fingers through Serena's short hair, staring into her eyes. "I've always been weak."

"No, you are anything but weak. Emotional at times? Yes. You like to hide that behind a chilly exterior, but you have a sweet, tender, heart that you wear on your sleeve where everyone who knows to look can see. And if you're jealous, you'll just have to learn how to appropriately channel that jealousy into a more positive feeling." She nodded a little before letting her head drop onto Bernie's shoulder, trying to find her peace as the flight continued.

"Do you think that things would be easier if I started working with a therapist?" she said suddenly, not lifting her head, wanting to keep her eyes averted from whatever look was present in her partner's eyes. "Mum always viewed them as a sign of giving in, of being unable to handle our problems on our own. So I never learned how to talk to others and tell them what was bothering me. Unless I got thoroughly drunk, that is. Then I have no problem spilling my guts."

"Alcohol often loosens even the tightest lips," she replied. "But I do think that it might be good for you to find someone that you can unburden your heart with. I'm not trained in those sorts of things. I can fix a body, I can't fix a mind." They took a deep breath in tandem, and Serena rubbed her cheek against Bernie's chest, knowing that she would have to ask Henrik for his recommendation on therapists once they were home.