Thank you so much for all the reviews on this story and Count On Me. Honestly, it has been an honour to give you this story.

Although, like most things, this story will probably not be at its end. Those of you that follow me on Twitter will know that I pitched an idea yesterday that has now sort of become a couple of chapters and I have quite a bit of research to do make sure that everything is right but I hope to get it out as and when (I think it will be a bit like IaWW, TIDU but not to that extent). So you will be seeing more of these characters at some point.

But, for the moment, shall we leave the Lawson household feeling rather happy?

The Trip of a Lifetime

"So you turned up then?"

Rachel sighed as she realised that this was one of the worst ideas that she'd had. She knew that she didn't have to confirm what Danny had written to her about Melissa but there was just something about it that made her think that she had to pay her sister a visit.

"Nice to see you too." Rachel said before she pushed passed Melissa.

"What is it with people pushing their way in?"

"Because I didn't expect you to invite me in."

"What? Because of Jane."

Rachel settled in the kitchen as she turned back to her sister. "Jane mentioned that she… lost it."

"Lost it? Rachel, she almost strangled me."

"And I had been kidnapped. You do remember what Danny almost did. He did almost shoot me. Jane was worried that she might find my body dumped somewhere."

"So why are you here?"

"I almost brought the kids. To finally meet their blood auntie. Now I am glad that I didn't."

"So?"

"Why are you here?"

"Adam asked me to come here."

"That is it?"

"That is it."

"So you were just a distraction."

"I mentioned that we weren't on speaking terms." Melissa paused. "Look I don't know what the guy was thinking and I definitely wasn't going to move in with him and London wasn't working out like I expected and." She paused again. "Maybe I have got used to just relying on Danny for money and everything."

"Have you just heard yourself? Melissa, you are 48. Kiera is more grown-up than you. Jacob even. What? Are you now going to wait for the next person who wants to ruin my life to come along? Is that how you are going to get by all your life?"

"So that is your low opinion of me."

"Well tell me it isn't true then. That you didn't make previous boyfriends break up with me because Danny told you to. I get that you blame me for everything that happened but Melissa, you have got to start seeing that things happened because Mum and Dad were addicts and they didn't care where their next fix came from, as long as they got it."

"Does Danny know where Mum is?"

Rachel swallowed. "Not exactly. He isn't too sure whether she is alive or not. Uncle Keith paired her off with one of his friends and I… don't think he was being kind to her. She did manage to tell him that she never wanted to see us again. You can keep living in the past but I have let that all go."

"So why are you here?"

"Maybe I hoped that my sister had changed." Rachel said as she placed a card down on the table. "Because maybe, even after everything she has done, she is still my little sister. But it is clear that she hasn't. Because I would help her out if she had helped herself. Maybe she can start with the bigamy."

Rachel left at that point, still unsure whether she had done the right thing or not.

There wasn't a problem with Eddie going secretive. In fact, Rachel knew that he was going to go secretive as it was three weeks before her birthday. Although no one was giving her hints to what it might be and she hoped that he wasn't going to go overboard.

He had kept it rather lowkey for her 51st birthday by getting Jane and Sally to look after the kids while they went out for dinner, to return to an empty house. She hoped for that sort of lowkeyness again but she was sure that she was going to be disappointed.

Which is why she forced herself not to check their joint account to see if Eddie had moved any money into his personal account and why she left his laptop alone, even if she knew that a small glance at his internet history wouldn't hurt.

She wished that she was better at surprises but she would just have to trust her husband that this was just him being a soppy sod. Because he couldn't go more over the top than a brand new car and personalised number plates, could he?

If anyone was watching Rachel on her 52nd birthday, sitting in the glorious weather and laughing with friends and family, it would have been easy to think that the events that started nearly six months ago never happened. And Rachel didn't think that anyone would have blamed her if she wanted a quiet affair. But Rachel couldn't think that anything was more perfect as she spent the day, with family and friends, sipping on non-alcoholic gin and tonics. Things seemed like they were back to normal.

Which is why she knew that Eddie wasn't going to give her her gift until everyone had gone and Kiera and Jacob were in bed. Which is why she rejoined her husband in the garden after telling Jacob to get to the next chapter before going to bed and telling Kiera that she should be thinking about bed as well.

Rachel leant into Eddie with a smile on her face as one arm went around her shoulders and the other offered her an envelope.

"Do I have to say it every year?" Rachel said.

"Let's just say that because I have styled it as your birthday present, it doesn't mean that you are going to be the only one that benefits from it. And I think we all deserve it."

"I think I can live with that."

"Don't give me that Mason. You love your car."

"You know, I did think about crashing it. To get away. I thought that you wouldn't mind it if I got to safety. And then I thought that maybe that wouldn't work. Because he had a gun and I didn't know what Danny wanted with me."

He placed a kiss on her temple. "I do think we are in a better position to say never again now."

"Eddie, what is this?" She said as she flapped the envelope.

"Why don't you open it to find out?"

Rachel sighed before she opened the envelope and pulled out the bits of paper inside. It took her a while to read through it all but she couldn't help but smile.

"Perth?"

"Australia, not Scotland. We are all going. Me, you, Kiera, Jacob. Michael has even chosen it over his lads holiday. Jane and Sally have booked the same flights and we have had a word with the place that we are going to be staying so that we can all stay in the same apartment. We are finally going to go, Rachel."

"On our trip of a lifetime."

"Best part is, as Michael will be there, we have someone to watch the kids while we go on double dates and all that."

"Eddie, I think this is exactly what we all need."

"Good. Everything is sorted. All you need to do is pack."

"Really?"

"Really."

"We will need to ask about Kiera's hearing aids, won't we?" She said as she looked up at him. "Unless you have already asked. Mr Lawson, when did you start remembering everything?"

"When I had five weeks without my wonderful wife."

"Never again."

Eddie tilted his head down to kiss her. "You know the only bad thing at the moment." He said against her lips.

"What?"

"The kids will still be up."

"And I don't think the neighbours will want a show."

"Plan for later?"

Rachel gave him a kiss. "Definitely."

"Dad, I'm hungry. Are we going to be going through soon?" Jacob asked.

"Mate, I did say to have something before we left."

Rachel smiled as she stood with Jane, trying to work out where they were going to check-in. Sally was with Kiera, making sure that where they thought they had to go was the place to go while they stood there with all their luggage for the next three weeks.

"But I wasn't hungry then," Jacob said.

"Here." Rachel said as she reached into her pocket to get out the cereal bar that she had picked up before they left, certain that one of their kids wouldn't be able to wait until they were in duty-free before they had lunch.

"Thanks, Mum." He said as he took the bar off her before returning to be with his dad.

"You are going to love Perth," Jane said.

"Hopefully it is like you remember it."

"We are going to have some good nights out. I might even head out with Michael one night and try and help him pick up some Australian bird."

Rachel laughed. "I don't think Michael will need your help."

"You are right there. He is a handsome lad. Why has no girl snapped him up? Or guy?"

"Maybe he is working it out. Or maybe he just isn't in a rush."

"It seems like kids these days are either rushing into bed with one another or not at all."

"It always pays to be sensible." Rachel said as she turned to Jane. "Okay, we are on the move." She said as she saw Sally waving at them.

Rachel grabbed a couple of bags before they headed towards Sally and Kiera, with Eddie falling in step next to her.

"Have I thanked you for this yet?" She said.

"Many times."

"I think I will need to again once we land."

"You might hate me after the 20-hour flight."

"Not when you are my soppy sod that remembers how much I wanted to go to Perth."

"We always said that we would one day."

"And I thought that would have been when the kids had left home and we had retired and all that."

"I think that it will be better altogether. Michael is off to uni so we won't get to see him as much as we have been. Jacob has just finished Primary. So it seems the perfect time. And this is equally a trip of a lifetime for them as it is us."

"I suppose so. I just constantly thank my lucky stars that I have you and everything that goes with that. I think that is what I learnt in my five weeks away."

"But never again," Eddie said as he kissed her. "We might have not said all that 'til death do us part' stuff but I mean it. That is the only time you are getting rid of me."

"And I wouldn't want it any other way."