Thank you for the reviews.

Right, honeymoon time. And I will admit, I spent quite a while one day planning out where they were going so I knew how long it was going to take them so I might place their route up on Twitter, as I had google maps up with everywhere where I wanted them to go (not all are mentioned in this chapter), maybe just to help you out a little bit.

The Holiday of a Lifetime

Eddie turned to look at Rachel, ready to tell her 'Welcome to Scotland' in a Scottish accent (one that he had been practising with Jasmine so that it sounded half-decent) as they passed the sign when he noticed that she was asleep, her head resting against the window.

They had planned to go abroad. They had managed to get their list down to either Spain or Italy or Greece when there were all the question marks over Rachel's blood pressure. They had discussed it with the doctors and midwife and didn't think that it was worth it. Although, Eddie wasn't too sure that his idea was any better.

But he had decided that instead of spending 10 days in sunny Spain, Italy or Greece, they were going to head north to Scotland.

He did wonder about a nice cottage in the Lake District but wanted to take Rachel away from a little further away and (technically) to a different country. Although there was a massive debate with himself over whether to go to Scotland or Ireland. Picking Scotland purely because he didn't know how Rachel would feel about the ferry journey and there was really only one reason anyone went to Dublin.

He had picked a few places, meaning that they would soak up some of the culture but he also felt like the country air could do them both some good.

He didn't blame Rachel for going back to sleep. They had left early on the Saturday morning, in an attempt to beat most of the traffic but also to spend quite a bit of the day exploring Edinburgh.

Eddie turned up the radio a little bit before rolling down his window a little bit, trying to keep himself entertained for the two hours left before they got to their first stop, hoping that Rachel would enjoy what he had planned.

Rachel couldn't stop herself from smiling at Eddie as they sat down opposite each other in the restaurant that he had chosen. She was still trying to work out what he had planned, although she loved the day that they had spent in Edinburgh, visiting the castle and just generally having a casual stroll around, exploring the area.

The four-hour journey had definitely taken it out of her, even if she had slept most of the way, but she felt more refreshed after all the walking about.

"How long are we in Edinburgh for?" She asked as they looked at the menu.

"Just today. Going somewhere else tomorrow, with a few stops on the way."

"Where are we going?"

He chuckled. "That is a surprise."

"Oh come on Eddie."

"What?"

"You do have a plan, don't you?"

"Of course."

"So where are we going tomorrow?"

"It is a surprise."

She huffed, knowing that she wasn't the best with surprises. Eddie obviously realised that as he looked up at her.

"Okay, one of the places we are going to go tomorrow is somewhere that you want to visit, just not in the way that you are expecting."

That didn't really help her and she knew that she wouldn't be asking that question again and just had to go with the flow with whatever Eddie had planned.

Not that she expressed that in words as the waiter came to take their order.

Rachel hadn't expected Eddie to have everything so well planned out as he had done. They had spent the morning in St Andrews, wandering around the cathedral and castle before they sat on the beach for a while and ate lunch.

She did feel like she was taking in more of the culture than Eddie but she knew that would always be the case, whether it was Scotland, Spain, Italy or Greece.

But she had enjoyed the time that they had spent on the beach, wrapped up in each other for a moment, taking in the sea air, not really having to say anything to each other. She found that they had those moments a lot. Where they just could be in each other's company and not have that pressure to make conversation.

Eddie had made sure that she was okay to hit the road again, probably knowing that she wouldn't always let him know when she wasn't okay. She was but told him to give her another five minutes, mainly because she was so content.

They had got back in the car just after two and made their way to their next destination. Eddie mentioned that they had one stop before they headed to where they were staying the night and he wanted to get there before they went for dinner. Probably for her sake so she had a chance to stretch her legs or lie down. If anything, she wanted a shower or, preferably, a bath.

Rachel wasn't paying attention to the road signs as they drove. Probably, if she had done, she would have noticed where they were going to without Eddie announcing it.

"Welcome to Perth. Scotland, not Australia."

It took her a moment to understand the gesture but she laughed as she turned to him.

"Not what I was expecting."

"If you still want to go, we will have to go one day. Maybe when Baby Lawson is old enough."

"Still going with Baby Lawson for the moment?"

"We have no idea either way."

"I suppose not." She said as she turned back to the road in front of them.

"Unless you want to know when we have the scan next week."

"Do you?"

"I… don't think so. We knew for Michael and Stephen, mainly because Alison wanted to know. Her… family does have twins running through it. So twins wasn't really a shock to her as it was to me. Twin boys were though. Apparently it had always been twin girls. I think she wanted to make sure that the family… tradition was going to carry on."

"Hence why you were looking at girls names."

"Luckily we still had a good couple of months to find some boy names that we liked." He turned to her briefly. "What about you? Do you want to know?"

"For someone that doesn't like surprises, I don't want to know."

"Fair enough. Any gut feelings though?"

She thought about it for a moment. "I… don't know whether it is just because I want you to be able to use your name, but I do think it might be a girl."

"Definitely could live with that. A mini-you running around."

"With her father wrapped around her little finger."

"Of course."

"You still aren't going to tell me."

"Nope."

"I'll have to keep guessing."

"I don't think you will guess it and I don't know whether I would tell you if you guessed it."

"And you call me a tease."

"Are we picking middle names as well?"

"Haven't really thought about it."

"Liar. You have. I know you too well Mrs Lawson."

She turned to him. "Okay, I may have done."

"Go on."

"Jane."

"The cousin that stood by you."

"I could never repay her for everything that she has done for me."

"I am happy about that."

"I haven't got one for a boy."

"Something we can discuss."

"As you drive me about?"

"Yeah. But I think we should have a little wonder around Perth before heading to Aberdeen, don't you?"

Eddie made sure that he gently sat down on the bed. His fear that all the driving about might be too much for Rachel had come on their third day. Maybe he was glad that once they got to the Isle of Skye, they would have two days there, meaning that if they weren't going to be travelling like they had done.

"We can spend the day in Aberdeen." He said softly as he placed a hand on her thigh.

She shook her head, but didn't respond straight away. She slowly opened her eyes as he stroked her thigh with his thumb.

"Give me another hour. I'll be okay."

"Is it all the travelling?"

"Maybe, maybe not. This has been coming and going and the headache isn't helping. All part of the good days and the bad days. She obviously didn't agree that what I ate last night was as delicious as I thought it was."

"Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"What are you craving?"

He watched her as her brow creased. It was clear that she was craving a couple of things at the same time and was probably trying to work out which one she was craving most so that the request didn't seem so bizarre.

"Raspberry jam."

"Toast or crumpets."

"Better stay safe with toast."

"I'll see what room service can do."

He stayed for a moment longer, to watch her close her eyes again, looking slightly more at peace than she was earlier before he grabbed the menu off the bedside table and went about trying to get her some raspberry jam on toast.

It was clear that Rachel wasn't comfortable in the hour and a quarter drive from Aberdeen to Balmoral Castle and he wondered whether they might have to find somewhere to stop off on their way to Inverness. Which wouldn't have been so bad but they had only got to Balmoral Castle after two in the afternoon and he would rather have dinner in Inverness. Not that he couldn't blame Rachel. She was 17 weeks pregnant. Maybe he should have put a little more thought to his plan.

But he couldn't help but notice how Rachel had perked up as they took in the gardens of Balmoral Castle. Well, Rachel took in the gardens while he watched her look around.

He had never really been one for history but Rachel did seem to enjoy it, taking her time to read most of the plaques that they passed. If anything, he didn't realise how deep he was in thought until she walked up to him and placed a kiss on his cheek before slipping her hand into his.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked as they started walking.

He turned and smiled at her. "You."

"Really?"

"Yep, and maybe, just wondering how the hell we got here."

"Well, you drove." She said, playfully.

"Not like that."

"I know but you are the soppy sod that said that he believed in fate."

"I know." He paused. "I just never thought that I would get a second chance. You know. With everything that happened with Alison."

"Yeah well… I never thought I would get the chance at all. You know. With everything that happened with Danny."

"You are happy, aren't you Rachel?" He asked as he stopped them, turning her toward him.

"Yes, I am. You?"

"Yeah."

She placed a kiss on his lips before she pulled him to walk again. Part of him wondered why he asked the question. Maybe because he was hoping that his relationship and marriage with Rachel wasn't going to end the same way as it ended with Alison.

Rachel couldn't help but sigh as she sat down on the sofa as she looked out of the bay window at the view.

They had been a few more places before they arrived on the Isle of Skye and it was definitely worth staying in Inverness for more than one night. The breathtaking views were enough to take away the fact that she ached all over and probably wasn't drinking and eating as she should be doing. So it made her glad that they were going to have a couple of days on the Isle of Skye before they moved on.

Not that she wasn't enjoying the little tour around Scotland that Eddie had planned. It was just taking it out of her a bit more than she thought.

She grabbed Eddie's arm as he passed her, stopping him from going and getting the rest of their things.

"Rachel, I need to get our stuff."

"Have you left the car open?"

"Not open but it is unlocked."

"Have you left the front door open?"

"No."

"Then you can have five minutes with me." She said as she pulled him down onto the sofa.

She was sure that he was going to protest more but he didn't as she put him how she wanted him before she placed her back on his chest. He chuckled as he moved himself a bit, getting them both comfortable. The rain hit against the window but everything else seemed calm and relaxed and that was how she wanted to be for the moment.

"Are you okay?" He said.

"Maybe I am just glad that we aren't going to get in the car tomorrow."

"Sorry."

"Eddie," She said looking up at him. "You don't have anything to be sorry about. Even if you are partly to blame for my high blood pressure and the reason we couldn't go aboard. But… we wouldn't have our little one if we were aboard."

"Or your blood pressure could have just been lower."

"Or that."

"Are they worried about it?"

"I think that they are now trying not to worry me about it."

"Shame it is going to rain for all the days that we are going to be here. Could have probably done some good for us to go on some long walks."

"We will have to see. Maybe there will be times when it is not raining. Or we will just have to get wet."

"Not going to let you catch a cold Mrs Lawson."

"Why is that Mr Lawosn?"

"If I say something like precious cargo, will I get hit?"

She playfully hit his arm but grabbed his hand to place it on her stomach, hoping that he could feel the fact that their little one was starting to move about.

"Already a mover?" He sai.d

"They did say that you would start to feel movement now."

"You know, there is a bath here. Might help whatever aches and pains you have from me drive you around."

"Hmm, that sounds good."

"You could go and have one now and I'll go and get the rest of our stuff and make dinner."

"Trying to get rid of me, Lawson."

"Not at all Mason. I just know what you have been like recently."

"Which is?"

"Not that I mind but you seem… a little clingy."

She probably would have tried to argue that she wasn't but it wasn't an untrue assessment of her behaviour recently. Maybe because she was starting to enter unchartered territory when it came to being pregnant. Or that she kept researching why the doctor and midwife were so worried about her high blood pressure. She didn't quite think that she could go through another pregnancy for it to end prematurely. Maybe she hoped that Eddie, someone who had supported a woman through a pregnancy to its end, might be a source of comfort, even if she hadn't spoken her concerns yet.

"You could join me." She said as she looked up at him.

"I think you need to see the size of the tub first before you say something like that."

"Why?"

"Rachel, I think you will only just be able to lie down in it."

"We will just have to come back here later."

"You can give me your feet and I can try and work some of that pain out."

"I can already feel my feet and ankles relax at that pure thought of that."

He placed a kiss in her hair and she allowed him to get up, knowing that it was probably best that she did get into the bath to help herself out.

"I love you." She said before Eddie left the room. She waited for him to turn to her before she said anything else. "I don't think I have said it to you recently."

"And I love you too." He said as he walked over to her. He gave her a quick kiss. "Come on, you'll feel better for it."

She let him go this time, trying to find the energy to pull herself off the sofa and have the soak that she had wanted since they started their honeymoon.

Rachel didn't want to go back to Rochdale. She didn't want to leave the little bubble that her and Eddie had been in. Not once had she really thought about school or the upcoming merger with John Fosters or how she wanted a new challenge. The last eight or so days had just been about her and Eddie, exploring Scotland.

There had been a lot about them and what they wanted and, more so, about the baby and everything they needed to sort before then. Rachel had confessed why she was worried and, as always, Eddie had played down her fears, although she wasn't convinced that she hadn't filled him with a fear that he hadn't previously had.

But none of that mattered as they lied in bed, in their hotel in Glasgow, facing each other, legs tangled together while one arm was lazily placed over each other's waist. Rachel's other hand was resting under Eddie's cheek while his laid between them.

"I don't want to go home." She whispered.

"Well, we will just have to do it again."

"I don't think it will quite work with a little one."

"Maybe Auntie Jane and Auntie Sally can look after them for the week."

"I don't think that is fair."

"They will cope. Look at the way they are with Michael. I think that they have always secretly wanted children. Just the odds were against them."

Rachel laughed. "I didn't mean on Jane and Sally. I meant on our little one."

"They are going to be a mix of us. I think they will be okay." He paused. "I know Michael started calling them his aunties but is that what they are going to be? Aunties to our child."

"What else are they going to be to them, Eddie? They would make better aunties than Melissa would ever be and." She paused. "And they have always been more like sisters to me than Melissa has ever been. I've chosen my family. Maybe I want our little one surrounded by people that will support them rather than put them down."

"I wasn't arguing it, Rach. I just wondered."

"I know."

"They could call any of our close friends auntie or uncle for all I care. Things are going to be different for them. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know."

Eddie cleared his throat. "So, it is going to take us about three and a half hours to get home. Now do you want to get going or did you want to do something else in Glasgow before we headed home?"

"I want to lay here for a little longer with my husband before we try and fail to untangle ourselves. Then we will realise that we should get going, finish packing and start to make our way home."

He smiled widely at her. "Sounds perfect."