Thank you for the reviews.
So this is the second time of four that I have rewritten this episode (S05E20 is the episode in question). Because this is what should have happened. Because it should have been Eddie to crash through those doors instead of Adam
The Wedding Crasher I
Town Hall. Five o'clock. Town Hall. Five o'clock. Town Hall. Five o'clock.
It was the chant that was going through Eddie's mind and he wished that he had left earlier as he battled against the rush time traffic.
He was still trying to work out why he sent the text to Philip. All day, he had tried to resist the temptation to find out where and when Rachel was getting married, but, at around four o'clock, he caved. It took him another half an hour to try and convince himself that going was a bad idea.
Rachel had obviously moved on. Rachel was obviously happy with Adam. He could obviously give her what she wanted.
Eddie knew that he should have thought about it more as he managed to find a parking space. The thing that he should have thought about was crashing Rachel's wedding, with his daughter, who was slightly the reason they weren't together, didn't really seem like the best thing to do but it was what was happening as he held Sophie close to him as he ran into the Town Hall.
Finding the right room was the easy part. It took Eddie a few moments to try and convince himself that this all was still a good idea. He just had to know that she was happy. He had to know that it was over between them. He had to know whether she couldn't give him a second chance.
He pushed on the door and ran into the room.
"Rachel!"
Rachel walked up towards the back of the room. She thought that Adam would know that she would be there, no matter what was happening at Waterloo Road. This was, after all, what he wanted and she had come accustomed to the idea, even though it was all still too quick for her.
She was there though. At the Town Hall. Waiting to become Mrs Rachel Fleet.
"Okay, erm, I think that we need to go, I'm awfully sorry, I don't actually think he's going to turn up…" She started as she turned back to the rest of the room.
The doors flew open and she turned to them, with a smile that dropped slightly as she realised who had just ran into the room, shouting her name.
"Rachel!"
"Eddie?"
The confusion that Rachel had was different from Eddie's. It was going to be. She had no idea that he was going to turn up.
"I thought… shouldn't you be getting married?" He said as he stopped in front of her.
"And, obviously, shouldn't you be at home, looking after this little one?"
Eddie laughed. "So he has done the same to you?"
"Sorry?"
"Philip? Not telling you anything because it would do no good for you to know."
With just that sentence, everything made so much sense. It made sense why Eddie was there and why Philip was acting nervously.
"Eddie, do you want me to take Sophie?" Philip said.
"Thanks, mate." He said as he handed her over.
"Philip, what is going on?" Ros said.
"I think that is an excellent question, Ros." Rachel said as she turned to her nephew.
"Don't be mad but I told him. Last night, that you were getting married today. I… Rach, you have no idea what it is like at home. It is like… a bomb. We are just waiting for someone to… explode. Whether that means that Mum runs off or Eddie falls out with her or I fall out with her, I don't know. But I thought Eddie had a right to know. I… I wasn't going to tell him anything unless he asked." Philip let out a nervous laugh. "The text I got as you were coming down the stairs. That was from Eddie. Rach, I shouldn't be introducing Eddie as my sort-of-step-dad. I should be introducing him as my uncle."
"Philip…" Rachel started.
"Let me take over," Eddie said. "Just… Tell me that I blew it. Tell me that we can never have a second chance. Tell me that is it over for us. Tell me that you love Adam more than you love me. Tell me… Tell me that he is going to make you happy. Tell me that… he can give you everything that you have ever wanted. Tell me that he understands you… like I used to do. Tell me that… Adam is the man for you. Tell me that he will never hurt you as I hurt you. Tell me… that this is what you want. Tell me that you want to become Mrs Rachel…"
"Fleet." She said.
"...Fleet. Mrs Rachel Fleet. Because being Mrs Rachel Lawson is never an option. Because there is no chance for us. Tell me that."
"Eddie… I… I wish I could." She whispered. "I wish I could tell you. I wish I could tell you that my heart… isn't doing flips. I wish I could tell you that everything that you have just said is true. I wish I could stand here and say… that it is over between us. I wish I could say that I've moved on. You can ask Kim. She will tell you that she has had a whole year of me… pining after you." She paused. "Adam knows nothing about you. The photos you forced into my hands live in the Crime and Punishment book you gave me. I… I wish… I wish Adam did understand me as you do. It is probably the reason he hasn't turned up. Because he doesn't understand what Waterloo Road means to me. But you do."
Eddie grabbed her hands and she could only smile as the familiar feeling that she had when he held her hand returned. She didn't realise how much she had actually missed him and the way he made her feel. She could safely say that her love for him hadn't died one bit. That she was still as in love with him as she was the day she let him go.
"It isn't going to be easy."
"What is with Melissa."
"But I am willing to make it work if you want it to."
She almost let his hands go as Adam finally showed up. She looked between the man that she loved with everything she had and the man that she said she would marry. It had happened way too quick with Adam. And she was only marrying him because he said that he wanted her to be his wife. She had started to see some of the boy that she went to school with but it wasn't enough. She loved Adam as a friend. She didn't love him the same way that she loved Eddie.
"Who is this?" Adam said as he walked over to them.
"Adam…" She started as she let go of Eddie's hands.
"Something else you have kept from me?"
She shook her head at Eddie as he gave her a look. She placed herself in front of Adam, knowing that she had to tell him.
"Adam, I don't think I can do this."
"Do what?"
"Marry you."
"Why not? Because of him?"
"Because it wouldn't be fair on you."
"Is this still over these two truanting kids?"
"Two truanting kids?" Eddie said.
"Tell him, Rach," Philip said.
Rachel turned and glared at her nephew before turning back to Eddie and Adam.
"Finn Sharkey and Amy Porter. Do you remember Earl and Maxine's relationship? It is as destructive as that but… up until this morning, I had no reason to believe that it might end in the same way. They dumped all their stuff into one of the bins, even their phones and Amy said a… weird goodbye to Siobhan. We think that they have gone down to a beach that Finn visited." Rachel explained.
"Called the police?" Eddie said.
"Naturally."
"So there is no reason for her to worry," Adam said.
"I don't even know them and I am worried. In fact, I think Rachel should be worried about it. Bearing in mind, if it is like Earl and Maxine, it seems like it could only end one way."
Adam rolled his eyes. "I am sure that they are just on the beach, making out. We should be getting married."
Eddie giving her a look felt right. The way her eyes glanced over at him felt right. The way he instantly knew what she was thinking felt right. It was the connection she had been missing. It was the missing part of the school year. It just showed her what she was missing with Adam.
"No, we shouldn't Adam. Because… we'll never work. We will be good for a bit but then what happens? Our arguments show that… it can be equally as bad as it is good between us. Is a bit of paper and me becoming Mrs Fleet going to change that?"
"We will make it work."
"Why are you late then?" She paused long enough to give her time to answer before she continued. "Because no matter how precious Waterloo Road is to me, I was always going to be standing here, ready to become your wife. I was always going to turn up. I don't think that you were. So what changed your mind?"
"Ruby showed me the cake."
Rachel shook her head. "You can't trust me, can you?"
"Rachel…"
"I can't do it, Adam. Tom was right. This is all… way too fast for me."
"Then who is he?"
Rachel finally turned to Eddie. "He is the man that knows me best. He knows exactly what I am thinking right now. Always has done. And he is someone that I have pushed away twice and still is willing to come back."
"That doesn't explain who he is."
"It does," Eddie said.
Rachel turned back to Philip and Ros. "You two coming? Or should I say three with Sophie?"
She could see the hint of a smile threatening to break out on Philip's face. It was obvious what he wanted, not that she knew the reason why. It was only as they were about to walk out that Adam reacted to what was happening and Rachel turned to see Philip pulling his hand out of Adam's grip.
"You set this up," Adam said.
"I've been bullied pretty much my whole life. I know a bully when I see one. Someone needs to look out for Rachel. Because no one else will. She is right. You complained about her not giving you her undivided attention but I know my auntie. She was always going to turn up and get married to you. Here she was going to give you her undivided attention. You were the one that blew it, Adam."
She could tell that Adam was going to go to grab Philip again when Eddie put himself between them.
"You do anything to hurt Philip or Sophie and you will have me to answer to. Leave it."
Rachel gave Eddie a smile as they all made their way out.
The school had but hadn't changed and Eddie could tell that Rachel was slightly nervous about being there. They had gone in through one of the back entrances and Philip and Ros had gone to get Kim before joining the prom.
"Sophie?" Rachel said to break the silence.
"So Philip didn't tell you."
"And I didn't ask."
"I didn't want to name her Sophie. That was all Melissa."
"Sounds like my sister."
"Philip isn't exaggerating. It is that bad. I don't want Sophie to grow up in a household full of arguments but it feels like that is how it is going to be."
"Melissa is going to be so pleased about this." She said, sarcastically.
"She'll get over it. I don't… I don't think that Sophie should miss out on her Auntie Rachel. Not when she is the most remarkable woman I have ever met."
She smiled at him and Sophie started to make noises of approval. His daughter knew him just as well as the woman in front of him.
Kim entered the room, with Dex, as he later found out, on her shoulder.
"Okay, you two have a lot of explaining to do. Can I get it in now?" She said.
"Go on then." Rachel said.
"I have been saying since the beginning of the school year that you should just call him. Look what would have happened if you just did. Now, what on earth is going on?"
Eddie's gaze met Rachel's and he knew that by the time they got to the end, Kim wouldn't be angry at them. In fact, he suspected that she would be happy for them and offering her support.
I do obviously realise that rewriting this episode in this way leads to no Tommy... don't quite know whether that is worth the sacrifice...
