Hi everyone, thank you to those who reviewed my last chapter & also to everyone else reading this story.

I have planned to finish this story on chapter 30, however if I don't manage to fit the rest into 7 chapters I will do a couple more.

Please enjoy & let me know what you guys think x

The atmosphere throughout the drive home was tense and frankly, indescribable. It seemed that Eddie couldn't quite grasp what the woman to his left was thinking. His eyes were presented with a mirror image of Rachel's earlier state: she was frozen. Her features showed no evidence of sorrow or joy. Perhaps like himself, she was unsure of how to feel, in disbelief of their current situation - this was certainly evident in her inscrutable expression. This couldn't continue, Eddie was well aware of his abilities to lift Rachel's spirits in the majority of given situations, so he longed with all his heart that he could utilise this now.

The right moment was reached as soon as the pair were settled back on the sofa, interlocked in one another's presence.

"Slap me for asking a stupid question, but, are you okay Rachel? Please, sweetheart, you can talk to me."

The trepidity in Eddie's stomach set in the second his utterances emerged. At this point, he couldn't even slightly anticipate her reaction, and that worried Eddie, scared him even.

Rachel's grip on him appeared to tighten, which made it clear to Eddie she had become frightened to open up and anxious to talk about her true feelings.

It was a familiar occurrence.

Luckily, he gathered that the kiss he planted on Rachel's forehead acted as a gesture of encouragement. This was noticeable in the way her head tilted so their eyes could lock - Rachel was ready to talk.

….

Their eyes were enclosed together instantly. The look Eddie gave Rachel accompanied with his wise words was the phenomenon that allowed her brain to click into place. Eddie was truly the only man she has ever trusted, that wasn't about to end now.

He was hurting too. Pain radiated from every nook and cranny, that was obvious. Surely they should use this division to unite and become stronger? It was in their nature.

"Before, when the doctor told us that there were… options, other options… I thought it would be okay, that there was hope. Now though, I'm not so sure."

Now Rachel parted from his embrace before continuing; his caring touch was making her emotional. She couldn't cry, not anymore. Strength was of the essence.

"I just think, what if IVF doesn't work like he said? Or if we if we aren't eligible for adoption?"

"You and I both know that your mind is focusing on the worst case scenario. You're in shock, after everything that's happened today, and I don't blame you at all, so am I. I just think that we need a bit of time to talk this through together. Maybe then, you'll start to understand your own feelings much better."

Rachel allowed her mind a few moments to digest Eddie's words before responding. As expected, his remarks alone had calmed her state significantly.

"It just feels like everything is hitting us at once. Nothing is going to plan. You know we've had the Bianka incident along with the aftermath of that… and now this. I just don't know if I can take anymore of it, our next option has to work… how am I going to cope if it doesn't?"

….

The clear sense of vulnerability etched within Rachel's tone caused Eddie's heart to crumble. He too, was unsure if another bout of bad news would be bearable. But his concern lay solely with Rachel, if she was distressed then so was he. Eddie hoped for both their sakes that their upcoming hurdle would be achievable.

Everything was dependant on a positive outcome.

"It will work, we will do whatever it takes to make that happen."

It will work. His voice sounded so certain, so positive; far from the nature of Rachel's previous comments. He wasn't sure if he believed his own utterances quite yet, but for Rachel he had to come across as strong. It was the only way they would get through this.

As foreseen, it seemed his encouraging tone had worked wonders - she replied with far more alacrity than ever before.

"Do you think so?"

"I know so,"

Eddie mumbled slightly, in the middle of planting an elongated kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"So what do we do now? What are our next best options?" was Rachel's initial response.

He was overly glad to recognise the determined tone within her voice - nothing could stop a purposeful Rachel Mason. What made Eddie smile the most though, was the way her questions were posed; as if he held all the answers. For him, that small gesture represented an enormous amount of trust and confidence, something which made his whole heart warm.

"We need to decide if we want to go through with IVF… if not, then we can look into adoption."

….

The slight hesitation succeeding Eddie's mention of IVF gave Rachel a sense of certainty, that her initial suspicions were wrong. Prior to their conversation, she had been concerned that Eddie wouldn't want to go through with IVF, that he would think it wasn't worth the potential added suffering.

How wrong she was.

This delay handed Rachel the idea that their thoughts were strikingly similar. Perhaps he too believed she didn't want to go through with it. Maybe he was willing to give IVF a try.

These lingering thoughts were ultimately the occurence that spurred her on to speak.

"I… I think I would like to try IVF. You know, see what the outcome is. I can't deny how… special it would be to have a child of our own."

….

Hope had been and gone constantly throughout this conversation. Now though, it had arrived more stable than ever. Eddie couldn't help but produce a smile at the way Rachel spoke about a baby of their own. Her maternal instincts were more than evident thanks to the slight glint in her eye.

She wanted this just as much as Eddie.

It took him a few moments to comprehend this thought alone, so he wasn't surprised to see a look of apprehension flash across Rachel's features when his response wasn't immediate.

This wasn't the only thing now apparent to Eddie. Their current positions on the sofa had brought the pair closer during their recent conversation. It suddenly hit him that the temptation to kiss Rachel was overwhelming.

Imminent.

So he leant forward to seal the slight gap, and hoped his actions would only emphasise his subsequent words.

….

Eddie's tender kiss was unexpected, but it was fair to say Rachel's breath had been snatched away. The contact had sealed up all of her previous worries, and she was sure that with Eddie's support, the uncertainty wouldn't return any time soon.

Only when he pulled away slightly did Rachel recognise his desire to comment.

"Rachel… of course we will try IVF. I told you, whatever it takes, and I meant that. I love you so very much."

By now, Rachel knew that reciprocation in the form of words was not necessary. Instead, she anchored her arm around Eddie's neck to allow for another kiss. Both Rachel and Eddie smiled into the embrace passionately. This acted as the next step in their relationship; the kiss alone symbolised the abundance of trust and love they held for one another.

It seemed that with each other, they could get through anything thrown at them.