Thank you for the comments :D

This next part is rather long I'm afraid so I'll post it up in three parts. Hope you like!

Beautiful Tomorrow

Part One

I cannot pinpoint the exact moment I realised I had fallen in love with my deputy. Looking back, I suppose that part of me had known it all along but I hadn't allowed myself to admit it until the possibility of losing him was facing me head on. Not that I have ever actually believed in love. Or in finding 'The One'. What the hell is all that about? I never understood it when my friends told me that when you meet the one person you are meant to spend the rest of your life with then you know instantly. But how? As a result of their words, I seemed to be spending my life worrying. Worrying that I'd misread the signs, worrying that I'd miss my turn. And I almost did, didn't I? I pushed him away and yet he came back to me. I thought I'd lost him again today. I don't know why I do this. I seem to have an uncanny ability to say one thing when I mean another which in turn pushes away the one person I want to let into my world. And yet he understands. He knows me and he knows what I'm about. If I stumble over what I'm trying to say he displays nothing but patience as I try to convey how I feel. He wants to understand me; he perseveres where others have given up. For that, I love him. And for the first time in my life I'm not afraid. With Eddie by my side, I can face anything.

--------------

As they make their way across the playground towards their cars, Rachel entwines her fingers through his and gently caresses his thumb with her own. Impulsively, he stops and plants a firm kiss onto her lips before resting his forehead against hers.

"Seeing as you won't let me hold your hand in the playground, can I just kiss you instead?"

"What do you think?"

"Er, yes!"

"Nice try Mr Lawson. As much as I could happily spend most of the day like this, people might complain."

"Let them."

"Ooh, you're sparky tonight!"

"Let's just say I've had a good day."

"Huh."

"What?"

"Well I'm glad one of us has had a good day. Mine was horrible."

Eddie raises his eyebrows in mock surprise. "Really? Why was that?"

"Something to do with the fact that my boyfriend spent the day in a strop with me. I ended up eating lunch in my office. On my own." She pouts but cannot stop herself from breaking into a smile.

"I was not in a strop."

"I'm sorry Eddie but you were!"

"Ok so maybe I was but it was only because I thought you were trying to give me the brush off." He reaches up and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and she wraps her arms around his back; reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss the side of his neck. He lowers his hand so that it rests on her lower back before whispering into her ear. "But it's ok, I'll let you make it up to me."

"Oh, will you now?"

"Yes Miss Mason, I will."

He reaches down to kiss her once again before reluctantly pulling away from her. She stretches outand takes his hand again; needing to feel and savour his touch.

"So..."

"So..."

"Tonight."

"Yes." She bites her lip nervously.

"I'll pick you up at half seven. "

"It's ok, I'll bring my car."

"If you bring your car it'll mean telling you where we're going and I want it to be a surprise."

"We're going somewhere?"

"Yup. But that's all you're getting. I'll see you later." He kisses her once more on the cheek before opening the car door and getting in.

"But Eddie – " He flashes her a smile and her heart soars. She twists her bracelet around in her fingers and watches as he expertly puts the car into gear and drives off; a smile dancing across her lips before retrieving her car keys from her bag.