Thank you for the reviews.

So, I think I am safe to say that, for this story, that is the last we are going to hear from Melissa. And pretty much, from here, it is a train of happiness. And what better place to start than Rachel's 39th birthday.

Happiness Starts Here

Even though Rachel's birthday was Thursday (which Eddie spent the day spoiling her rotten), Eddie had told her that he was going to give her her main present on Saturday. She told him that he had already done enough with cooking her breakfast and taking her out for dinner on the day, but she knew that it was probably part of what he had been thinking about since they mentioned how she was unconscious for her 38th birthday. He was obviously planning on making it up on her 39th.

She had been trying to guess what he had planned but she wasn't sure of what it was until he handed her over a present, which was neon pink leg warmers. Now she knew exactly what he had planned.

"80s night?" She said.

"I did remember your little comment."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

"So I managed to find out that there was this really bad tribute act down at the community centre. I don't even know who they are meant to be. But after they come off the stage, it is just 80s hits all night. You said that you would like to relive the end of the 80s and do it properly. I think this is the closest you are going to get."

She placed the legwarmers and the wrapping paper on the coffee table and stood up to kiss him, her arms going around his neck while his hands rested on her hips.

"So different to how things were in 89."

"I bet."

"Still pregnant though."

"But in a completely different way."

"Of course. Because I have the best husband in the world."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Really? I just know that I need to up my game for your birthday."

"Come on. If we leave now, we might just catch the end of the awful tribute act and you can try and tell me who they are meant to be."

"That sounds perfect." She said with a laugh.

They heard a few minutes of the tribute act as they walked in, turning to each other glad that they had missed it as it took a few moments for the person on the door to check their tickets before waving them in. She quickly nipped to the loo while Eddie went and got them some drinks. By the time she was in the main hall, the DJ had started and she found Eddie had got the drinks and two chairs for them, but as the first song came on, she knew that they weren't going to be sitting down for long.

She knew that if she was going to do the end of the 80s properly, it would be to dance the night away, as much as she could 23 weeks pregnant.

When she reached him, it was almost halfway through the first song and he looked suspiciously comfortable. She knew that Eddie wasn't really a dancer and had only danced their first dance at their wedding reception. But he wasn't going to bring her to an event like this and let her dance on her own. She picked up her drink and took a mouthful before she reached out and grabbed his forearm, trying to pull him out of his seat.

"Come on." She said.

"Oh no."

"You can't leave me to dance on my own. Come on."

Rachel knew that she wasn't having much luck so tried a different tactic of slowly walking backwards towards the dancefloor. She crooked her finger at him to try and make him come while she mouthed the words of the song.

To the beat of the rhythm of the night, dance until the morning light/Forget about the worries on your mind, you can leave them all behind

There was just the look on his face that told her that she had him. He took a mouthful of his drink before he stood up and followed her. If anything, the best thing wasn't the fact that he was dancing with her. It was his smile and she could only imagine how he spent his youth.

They had taken breaks over the course of the night, mainly because Rachel would start to feel hot and it would be a great time to get some drinks. She knew that Eddie had driven them and she slightly expected that she was going to drive back until she noticed that he wasn't drinking. She hadn't come up with a way to ask him why he wasn't drinking. She knew that he loved a beer and with her making him dance, she was sure that he wanted something to help him through it.

But there were both there, sober, dancing and smiling and laughing the night away. Part of Rachel wanted her to be 19 again. To do this at the proper time rather than 20 years later. Although, she wouldn't have had Eddie by her side then. There could have been a chance of them meeting around that time if he had gone to a university in London. How different things might have been.

He held his hand up and asked if she wanted a drink without saying it. She nodded at him but they were stopped as the music died down for a moment.

"Now I think that this is a firm favourite for everyone here." The DJ said.

It was, maybe, slightly embarrassing how long it took them to realise what the song was but Rachel pulled herself closer to Eddie.

"The first single I ever bought." She said.

"Really?"

"Yep, it was released the week before my birthday. Everyone was singing it at school. Obviously did ask my parents for it but ended up taking the money for it from my little savings pot."

"I do remember it being released. Best selling single of 1982."

"And I helped them be that."

"Shame you had to buy it yourself."

"12 years old and buying my own presents."

"Never again if I can help it."

"Because I've got you now."

"Exactly."

She squealed as Eddie brought her a little closer to her as the song reached the chorus and he sang it to her.

"Come on Eileen, Oh, I swear, At this moment you mean everything, You in that dress, My thoughts I confess, Verge on dirty, Oh, come on Eileen."

Rachel couldn't stop herself laughing. "Sums you up quite well Mr Lawson."

"I don't know what you mean Mrs Lawson."

"So you can have professional thoughts about me. Just… I thought that we were still trying to find the perfect opportunity to… do that thought of yours in my office."

"Which one is that?"

She rose up on her tiptoes. "The one where you are in my chair. The one you really wanted to do when Max was there." She whispered.

He swallowed as she pulled back but he was quick to recover. He gave her a smile and she knew that the idea was still on the cards. Maybe one for when she wasn't pregnant. They joined in as everyone else started clapping and stomping along to the song before the last chorus. She enjoyed the way that Eddie pulled her back towards him and even more so when he carried on singing to her. It was a memory that would go down as one of her favourite birthdays.

"You are happy, aren't you?" She asked as he pulled her away from the dancefloor as Eye of the Tiger started and there were a few people pretending to be Rocky, protecting her from their idiocy.

"Of course I am, are you?"

She didn't quite know why she asked the question. Because she already knew his answer as well as him knowing the answer that she was going to give.

"Eddie, you are all I have ever wanted and will ever need. Our little one is just an addition."

"I'll get us some drinks. I think we should sit this song out."

"I think you are right. I'll be back in a moment."

Eddie placed a kiss on her lips before they went their separate ways.

"Husband or boyfriend?"

Rachel turned to the woman who had taken the seat next to her on the bench outside.

"Husband."

"What has he done wrong to be dancing all night?"

"It is my birthday treat. Not that he hasn't spoilt me rotten. I said a throwaway comment about not doing the end of the 80s right and he is trying to help me rectify it. I think we have both been taken back to being 19 and 21."

"Misspent youth?"

"Something like that."

"I suppose I should say congratulations."

"Thank you." Rachel said, her hand going to her bump instantly.

"The smokers are around the other side. There is no CCTV there."

"Right, thanks."

"I wouldn't get my husband dancing like yours. He obviously loves you a lot."

"Well, the feeling is definitely mutual there. I think this has been one of the best birthdays that I have ever had."

"Shame you can't drink."

"That isn't a downside."

"If you say so."

Rachel fanned herself for a moment. She wasn't quite sure that she was ready to go back inside but she smiled as Eddie walked over to her.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Just a little hot. Not really any cooler out here."

"I'll leave you two to it. Better find my other half." The woman said as she got up and left them.

"Did you know her?" Eddie asked.

"No, she was just amazed that you were dancing. She said something about misspent youth and I said something like that."

"I am definitely been taken back to my uni days."

"Your better misspent youth."

"In some ways. Still was on the pull most Saturday nights."

"Still on the pull." She repeated as she laughed.

"Okay. Not the same situation."

"Definitely not."

"How is she treating you?"

"Okay at the moment. She is still moving about. I think she might be a bit of a dancer like her mother. She seems to like music."

"And Michael's voice. He is going to bring all his books next weekend so he can read to her."

"I think it is your voice and my voice as well. I think she is going to be one chatty madam."

"Nothing wrong with that."

"I suppose not."

"Ready to go back. There is apparently only another hour."

"I think we can survive another hour. But a window is definitely going to be open tonight." She said as she stood up.

"Maybe a quick cool shower when we get home."

She gave him a quick kiss. "Only if you join me."

"I thought you would never ask."

She flashed him a smile before she took his hand and allowed him to pull her back into the heat of the hall.

It was clear that things were starting to wrap up. Other than the bar closing, the songs had started to slow down, with Red Red Wine being the song that was just ending. It was nice to go from the fast-paced popular songs of the 80s to the slower ones and Rachel wondered how they were going to end the night as the DJ spoke for the last time that night.

"Thank you all for coming tonight. Now for the last song of the night, for all you lovebirds out there."

Rachel didn't stop herself as she rested her arms on Eddie's shoulders as his hands went to her hips, the bump making sure that there was some distance between them. She couldn't stop herself from smiling at his chest.

"What?" He asked.

"Thank you for this." She said as she looked up at him.

"No problem."

"An off the cuff comment that you have remembered for a year and a half."

"Well, like what was said just after Christmas, this time last year, you were in a coma and I was fighting for your job. I had to make up for it."

"You didn't."

"But I wanted to."

"What did I do to deserve you, Eddie Lawson?"

She loved the brilliant smile that he gave her.

"I don't know." He said. "Because I don't know what I did to deserve you, Rachel Lawson. And we are in it for the long haul now."

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

They smiled at each other as they continued to sway to the music, listening more to the lyrics of the song and realising how much they related to them.

Islands in the stream/That is what we are/No one in between/How can we be wrong/Sail away with me/To another world/And we rely on each other, huhn hah/From one lover to another, huhn hah

"This song is so us." Rachel said.

"I was just thinking that."

"I do think if we thought about the reception ourselves, we probably would have come up with a song like this for our first dance."

"The staff seemed pretty excited to plan it."

"They certainly know how to throw a party."

"Do you know about the bet about the gender of our baby?"

"Yes. Staff and students are involved."

"Christ, what the hell are we going to do with them?"

"Nothing. Because we wouldn't want them any other way."

"Next they will have a bet of when she will be born."

"I know. Not great use of their non-contact time."

"But you are right. We wouldn't want them any other way. It wouldn't be Waterloo Road without them."

"Like it wouldn't be Waterloo Road without you." She said.

"Or you."

Rachel sighed as the song started to come to its conclusion. If anything, she was back in that bed in a hotel in Glasgow, not wanting the night to end.

"Can we stay in this bubble forever?"

"If we could, we would."

The lights were slightly blinding as they turned on. Rachel squinted for a bit before Eddie pulled her outside, towards the car. It was the end of a perfect night with the perfect man that she got to call her husband and Rachel also knew that Islands in the Stream would have a new special meaning to it as well as being the song that she would have stuck in her head for a couple of days.