Thank you for the reviews.

Now it is unlike me to give you a nice chapter on a Tuesday but that is sort of where we are at in the story. More nice chapters than horrible ones.

And this is set 4 weeks after the last chapter.

Lowkey

"We have a bone to pick with you, Mr Lawson," Steph said as Eddie walked into the staff room.

He sighed as he saw that she was with Matt and Grantly. If Tom was there or Davina, he might have been a little bit more forthcoming but he knew what it was going to be about.

"Really?" He said.

"Well, you and a certain Miss Mason are getting married on Friday."

"So?"

"Where is our invite?"

Eddie had hoped that no one would really notice that they hadn't been invited. Not that he didn't want any of the staff there, but with the Max and Ralph thing along with the pregnancy, they had been more focused on just getting ready for the ceremony and not thought about the reception much further than 'We'll talk about that tomorrow'. Obviously, with three days left before the wedding, the famous saying of 'tomorrow never comes' came to mind. It wasn't like they could book anywhere now.

"We are having a small ceremony," Eddie said.

"And after?"

He hesitated for long enough that Matt got the idea.

"You haven't planned a reception, have you?" Matt said.

"The whole thing with Max… I was trying not to stress Rachel out too much and the weekends were saved for organising flowers and a car to get Rachel to the town hall and our outfits. The rings. I know we have had three months to plan this but there was the whole thing with Melissa and Rachel's been really suffering with morning sickness. We just… didn't get around to talking about it."

"Kim, have you heard this? They haven't planned a reception." Steph said.

"Steph, you haven't even done a collection for their wedding present yet. Something you said that you would organise." Kim said as she reached Eddie's side.

"Then maybe that is what we do," Matt said. "I get that Eddie will know but maybe we should organise the reception."

"In three days?" Steph said.

"Well, where there is a will, there is a way," Kim said.

Eddie watched as Steph thought it over before asking Matt and Kim to come with her. If anything, he now had to stop Rachel from planning anything.

"It's okay if you are nervous," Jane said.

Rachel looked up at her cousin, smiling at her.

"Trying to work out if it is nerves or potential morning sickness."

"I was nervous the day I married Sally."

"You didn't let it show."

"But it wasn't the nerves like I was making the wrong choice. I think it was just the anticipation that I was going to spend the rest of my life with her and there was nothing more that I wanted to do than just get it over and done with. To be able to call her my partner and… spend the rest of my life with her."

"I get what you mean."

"Although I don't understand why we are doing this. You saw him this morning because you both went into work and it isn't like I am giving you away."

"We wanted a couple of traditional parts of the day."

"Why? When you have been so untraditional."

"I don't know. Maybe… I hope that this is the only time I am going to do this, with a man that I love more and more every day."

"I get what you mean." Jane paused. "He'll look after you."

"I know."

"Maybe I am just confirming for myself."

One of the registrars came into the room and said that they were ready for them. Even if they weren't having a completely traditional wedding, Eddie was still there, waiting at the altar for her. He turned to smile as her as she walked down the aisle with Jane by her side. She only smiled wider when she noticed that the tie he had on was the one that she had brought him for the ROBEC meeting. She half expected him to throw it away but it was actually quite sweet of him to have kept it and even sweeter that he had decided to wear it.

Jane went off to sit with Philip while Rachel noticed that Sally was with Michael, making sure that he was somewhat entertained.

"Sorry I stole her," Eddie whispered when she reached him.

"You could have had more."

"There wasn't anyone else that I wanted."

They continued to smile at each other, not really taking in the words of the registrar until they felt like they had to.

"We are here to witness, what is at heart, a private moment between them, as they dedicate themselves to each other. As no legal objection has been declared against your marriage, it may now take place. Although your guests know you very well, the law requires that you fully identify yourselves. Eddie, may I have your full names please."

"Edward Jonathan Lawson." He said.

"And Rachel, may I have your full names please."

"Rachel Mason." She said.

"The place in which you are now met has been duly sanctioned according to the law for the celebration of marriages. Before you are joined in matrimony, I have to remind you of the solemn and binding character of the vows you are about to make. Marriage, in this country, means the union of two people, voluntarily entered into for life, to the exclusion of all others."

Eddie was the first to say his, saying that there was no lawful impediment as to why he couldn't marry her before she said the same about herself. It was the little glances that they gave to each other which meant that they couldn't stop smiling.

"Eddie, do you promise to love, respect, comfort and protect Rachel, and to share with her, all that you are and all that is yet to be?" The registrar said.

"I do," Eddie said.

Rachel couldn't stop herself from biting her lip as the registrar turned to her.

"Rachel, do you promise to love, respect, comfort and protect Eddie, and to share with him, all that you are and all that is yet to be?"

"I do."

There was a bit of faffing about as Jane and Sally joined them as their witnesses and Philip remembered which pocket he had placed the rings. Like Jane and Sally, Rachel had chosen Eddie's ring while he had chosen hers. It seemed the right way to do it. So there were two separate boxes, which Philip checked which one was which before handing the right box to the right person.

"Shall we start with Eddie first?" The registrar said before she said the words that Eddie repeated.

"I give you this ring as a token of my love and a sign of our marriage. I promise to care for you with love and respect. And will support and comfort you. Through the good times, and the troubled times. With love and patience, always and forever." He said before he slid the ring onto her finger.

"Rachel?"

"I give you this ring as a token of my love and a sign of our marriage. I promise to care for you with love and respect. I promise to confide in you and comfort you. To trust and support you. With love and patience, always and forever." She said before she slid the ring onto his finger.

The registrar told Jane and Sally to sit down before she carried on.

"Eddie and Rachel, your marriage is a celebration of the love you have for each other, a partnership of tenderness and compassion, and is based on mutual trust and respect. When two people pledge to love and care for each other in marriage, they create an identity unique to themselves, which binds them closer than any written or spoken word. You have made the declarations that are required by law, and made a solemn and binding contract with each other, in the presence of your witnesses and guests here today. I am delighted to announce that, from this day forward, you are now husband and wife."

There wasn't a lot of noise four people could make, but it was enough to make Rachel's heart soar, especially when Eddie pulled her towards him to kiss him. She knew that there were a few more bits to do but that didn't stop her from crouching down to pick Michael up as he ran over to them. Eddie took him off her before Michael got too comfortable.

"You shouldn't be doing that." He said.

"Whatever you say, Mr Lawson."

He smiled at her. "Of course, Mrs Lawson. Just because you are feeling better now, doesn't mean that you can do everything that you used to do."

"Mrs Lawson." She repeated smiling up at him.

"Ready to do all the signing?" The registrar asked.

Rachel turned to her before looking back up at Eddie. "Yeah, we are."

They hadn't organised a professional photographer but there was enough time for Jane to get a few photos while swapping in and out with either Sally or Philip. Eddie couldn't quite believe that they were in the position that they were in. He was certain that if someone told him on Rachel's first day that he would end up marrying her, he would have asked the person what they had been drinking.

But here he was, in front of the town hall, with Rachel smiling up at him after they had just got married.

It was clear that the realisation that they hadn't planned a reception had dawned on Rachel as Jane asked where they were going next.

"We…" She started.

"Don't worry. It has all been sorted." Eddie said.

"Sorry?"

"It's all been sorted. Hasn't it Sally?"

"All sorted. Shall we get you there?" Sally said.

Eddie noted the confused looks from Rachel and Jane. He was glad that they had been able to keep it a secret from them.

Rachel was shocked to be returning to school. She was even more shocked to see that all the teachers had stayed behind to wish them well. It wasn't until drinks were handed around (with Kim assuring her that the champagne flute that she gave Rachel was alcohol-free champagne) that it was left to Kim to explain.

"Eddie constantly goes on about how you, Rachel, don't know how important you are to the school. Well, I don't think that is true. I don't think both of you realise what you have done for the school and the students here in the year or so that you have both been here. And, like Waterloo Road does, it gives back to those who put in the time and effort.

"Waterloo Road brought you two together and yes, we understand that it hasn't been completely plain sailing for you both, but then again, that is Waterloo Road. Trust me, there is nowhere else like it." Kim paused for a moment. "When Eddie mentioned that you hadn't really thought about the reception, we couldn't let you get away with just having a couple of drinks down the local, so we came up with this. Obviously, we couldn't get anywhere more grand in three days but then again, Steph had also forgotten to do a collection for a wedding present. So this is your wedding present. I know it isn't much but I think it is better than anything else that we could have tried to come up with. So, to the new Mr and Mrs Lawson."

There was a chorus of Mr and Mrs Lawson before everyone took a sip of their drinks. It took Rachel a lot longer than she thought to actually be standing next to Kim again, the two women embracing when they did.

"You didn't have to do all of this." Rachel said.

"No, we didn't. But Steph was right. I get why you wanted a lowkey wedding but we couldn't let you get away with it being completely lowkey."

"Well thank you."

"How is it being Rachel Lawson?"

Rachel laughed. "It is going to take a bit of getting used to. Although, it didn't take me too long to get used to calling myself Rachel Mason rather than Amanda Fenshaw."

"The reasons are different this time around."

"Oh, yeah, definitely for the better."

Rachel felt like the whole first dance thing was going a little too far but she couldn't help but feel like it was the right thing to do as her arms when around Eddie's neck as the song started. It took them both a little longer than it should have done to work out that the song was Your Song, which Rachel found weird.

"I didn't pick it," Eddie said. "Matt asked if I had a song in mind and I hesitated for longer than I should have done and he said that he would choose one."

"Right."

"Although I don't think it is a bad choice." He said before he sang the next lines of the song in time with it. "That I put down in words. How wonderful life is while you're in the world."

"I'll agree to that." She said. "Wait where is Michael?"

"He seemed exhausted and I was going to wait with him while waiting for Alison but Jane and Sally dragged me back in here for this and so he is waiting with his two new aunties."

"He doesn't mind having two aunties."

"He bloody loves them both. His teacher had an afternoon having to explain to the other kids why it was okay that he was going to gain two new aunties when we married. A handful of parents weren't happy but Alison pretty much told them that she hoped that their child didn't come home with someone of the same gender."

"Well, there is nothing wrong with it. Love is love. Because, if there was a line up of men and you were in it, I don't think I would have chosen you. Because I didn't think that you were my type. Maybe I just didn't know what my type was."

"I would have chosen you."

"Really?"

"If we were just going off looks."

"Sure?"

"Yes, because, Mrs Lawson, you are a very beautiful woman and I would have then found out that the beauty was also on the inside as well. You are an all-round beauty."

"And you, Mr Lawson, are a soppy sod."

"A soppy sod that you said that you would spend the rest of your life with."

"And it would be a privilege to do that."

Eddie smiled down at her before he kissed her. He was, now, her perfect husband, who knew her inside and out, and she knew that she could take on the world with him by her side. Because that is how it should be. Eddie and Rachel Lawson. And she couldn't wait to see what life had in store for them.