Thank you for the reviews.

So we are at the end of another academic year... just Rachel gets to see it this time around. And we are still on the train of happiness. And we get to see a little more from Michael from here as well.

End of Another Year

"Okay. Last little speech from me." Rachel said. "I just wanted to thank you all for all your support this school year. I mean, what a year it has been. As me and Eddie were saying the other day, I had realistically only just woken up from the coma and I don't think anyone expected me to be back at work as soon as I was. I know the next academic year isn't going to be an easy one, and I know I am going to miss most of it, but there is no school like Waterloo Road and it will just become another chapter in the story. So enjoy your summer, you deserved it."

Everyone cheers to that and Rachel sipped on her orange juice before turning to start a conversation with Davina.

Everything she had just said was true. She was grateful for their support and she hoped that their support would be extended to the new teachers starting in September (although she suspected that they may end up being a little territorial like the students were going to be).

It was as everyone went off into their little groups that Rachel noticed that Eddie wasn't drinking again. She knew that they had driven to the pub, with her expecting to drive them home after Eddie had a couple of pints. She didn't quite know how to word it.

"You could have had a pint." She said.

"It's fine."

"Honestly, it is fine. Just because I am not drinking, doesn't mean you have to give it up as well. I notice that you did the same at the 80s night."

"Maybe I just wanted to show that I was with you in this pregnancy. Rachel, I know… you have a funny relationship with alcohol. It was just my way of secretly supporting you."

"And when I thought I couldn't love you more." She said with a smile.

"Well, the feeling is mutual."

"Although," She said. "What if I have decided, because of my weird relationship with alcohol, that my sobriety is going to last longer than the pregnancy?"

"Sure?"

"I've been thinking about going teetotal for a while now. Maybe I just never had a good reason to."

"And me cutting down on my alcohol isn't going to be bad for me. Rach, if that is what you want to do, then I want to be there supporting you. And if that means that I only have the odd pint when I go and watch the football, then it is that. This isn't for you to do on your own."

"Back to that earlier thought."

Eddie smiled at her. "Another one and then we will go home. We have a busy week ahead of us."

"A week of Michael, couldn't think of anything better."

"You know that he is going to spend most of his time trying to be a big brother."

"At least he is prepared for his role."

"The protective older brother."

"Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"None at all."

Eddie placed a kiss on her cheek before he got up to get them another drink.

"Rachel!" Michael said as he ran into the living room and jumped straight on the sofa next to her.

"Michael, how are you?"

"I'm good. Daddy said that you had been to the doctors. You aren't poorly, are you? I only go to the doctors when I feel poorly."

Rachel couldn't help but smile at the boy. "They are just making sure that the baby is okay. Making sure that they are growing as they are supposed to."

"Are they?"

"Yes, they are."

"I got more books."

"And I look forward to hearing you read them later."

"Michael," Eddie said. "Why don't you go and put your bag in your room?"

Michael turned to Rachel, placed a kiss on her cheek before he pushed himself off the sofa and took his bag off his dad, making his way up the stairs. Alison joined Eddie at the door.

"How is the blood pressure?" Alison asked.

"Still high apparently. They had put me on medication but have taken me off it now because it doesn't seem to be working."

"Are they worried about pre-eclampsia?"

"I think so. So they are glad that she does seem to be growing at the right rate. But instead of waiting three weeks until my next appointment, they want to see me every week. Just to keep an eye on my blood pressure."

"She? I thought you didn't find out."

"Rachel's gut feeling," Eddie said.

"Maybe you will get to use that name after all."

Rachel knew that Eddie and Alison's relationship was a lot better now. It was obvious that it wasn't going to affect Rachel's with him but they were definitely not just getting on for Michael's sake.

"Hey, mate, are you going to say goodbye to your mum?" Eddie said before Michael had the chance to run back into the room properly.

Alison said the usual of telling him to be good and to be careful and that she would see him next weekend. Eddie showed her out as Michael rejoined Rachel on the sofa.

"Daddy says that we can't do what we would usually do when you have me," Michael said.

"Only a few different things. Just because I can't do as much." She paused. "I tell you what we need to start doing. We need to start thinking about the baby's room. Maybe you could help us with that."

Michael nodded at her before she held out her hand. His face lit up and she placed his hand on her stomach, just where the baby had kicked her. It was another few moments before the baby kicked again.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Michael said when Eddie returned.

"No. Just feels funny."

"I think it would hurt if someone was kicking my tummy."

"Michael, why do I get you some paper and you and Rachel can start making a list of the things that we need?" Eddie said. "You can show Rachel your super neat handwriting."

Michael smiled as Eddie left them and Rachel moved to the floor so that Michael could lean on the table. She could tell that Eddie was going to hang by the door for a moment while she tried to think of the things that she wanted Michael to write down and she saw sure that she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Is it serious?" Eddie asked.

"Is what serious?"

"Pre-eclampsia?"

Rachel shuffled a bit to get herself comfortable in Eddie's arms, which was becoming a lot harder the further into the pregnancy she was. She had thought that they would both be straight off to sleep, with Michael doing his best to try and wear them out, but Rachel knew that Eddie had something on his mind. And she was glad that he did ask the question.

"I think so. They tell me that they check every mother for it. I think they have put me in a higher risk bracket because the time between this pregnancy and the previous one, even if that one ended in a miscarriage."

"Is that one of the… signs?"

"One of the indicators that I might get it. Moderate risk. Eddie, my blood pressure has always been a little on the high side."

"Not like you to take something so calmly."

"They just said that they are going to keep an eye on it. I am sure if something is wrong, with me going to the doctors weekly, they should pick it up. I am sure it is just a precaution."

"So how are we going to keep him active tomorrow?"

Rachel smiled. "I think we should take a walk to the park. You can run after him and try and wear him out and then we can come home and read and then he can go to bed."

"I think you underestimate how much energy he has and overestimate how much energy I have."

"Well, I need to at least go out on a walk tomorrow."

"Not going to deny you of that." He said. "You know, I think you are going to be an excellent mother."

"Why is that?"

"Because of how you are with Michael."

"Is that what you were thinking earlier? I thought it might have been something along those lines."

Eddie hummed. "Although, I think you are right about the nursery."

"It will keep him occupied if we at least go out and get the stuff. Then we can rope Philip into helping next week when Michael isn't here and it can be done by the next time he is here."

"That's an idea."

"What?" She said as she looked up at him.

"Get Sally to wear him out. If she has enough stamina to take part in that chase that she was describing to us the other week, then she can keep up with him."

"Even better than that. Find out if Amy is going round in the next week and the kids can wear themselves out."

"See, already thinking like a mother."

Rachel giggled as Eddie started to kiss her cheek and neck. She knew that the end of the last academic year had been a weird one but a lot had happened in a year. She didn't quite expect to be married and pregnant in the 12 months following waking up from a coma but that is what had happened and she wouldn't change it for the world.