Thank you for the reviews.

I know that this does jump around a lot but just bear with me. I do think that I have sort of done it in the best way...

Set during 2009 (and what would have been series 5) and before chapter 9 (Advent Calendar).

Day Eleven
Drunken Christmas Films

When Rachel finds out that Eddie doesn't really like Christmas films, they decide to find some of the most ridiculous ones and create a drinking game so that they can watch them together and maybe enjoy them a little more.

Word count: 1,534

There was one part of Christmas that Rachel did like and that was the Christmas films. She did usually keep it to the classics (and the real Christmas classics) but sometimes she would find herself watching some good awful modern Christmas film that she could just instantly guess what was going to happen. She would protest when Melissa would want to watch one of them but they were easy watching and Rachel didn't mind that sometimes.

Sometimes a film that you didn't have to actually watch and still know what was going on was just the perfect thing after a busy week.

Eddie didn't mind the classics. But that was where he drew the line (but he was happy to watch Elf which Rachel said that she was not watching under any circumstances). However, she found that once they had settled down on the sofa, all snuggled up, Eddie would be asleep within the first half an hour.

When she spoke to him about it, he confessed that he didn't mind the classics but he wasn't a great lover of Christmas films. She found that strange for the man that wouldn't let it go that she only owned two Christmas jumpers.

The only thing that was part of her Christmas tradition was to watch Christmas films and she needed to find a way to make sure that Eddie would stay awake and watch the crap films.

It was slightly strange to Rachel that it was Steph that gave her the idea to try out. In the form of a drinking game.

It was a quick internet search and Rachel could find a couple of examples of what Steph meant before she realised that the fun of it might be in creating her own.

Rachel looked at the paperwork that was starting to pile up, knowing that Eddie might not be the best influence for her in that respect. She had started doing less paperwork at home and she knew that it had started long before her and Eddie moved in together. He had definitely changed her workaholic ways and she wondered when she stopped caring so much about getting her paperwork done immediately.

Then she remembered Eddie telling her that if she wasn't going to have Christmas off, when was she going to have time off work. She knew that he was right and it allowed her to throw caution to the wind and she knew that she would get around to doing it all eventually. It might just not be that side of Christmas.

Rachel found a notebook that had a couple of notes in it before she opened it at a clean page, to write down the ideas that she had got from the internet and wondering what else she could come up with.

Eddie knew that Rachel was planning something but he couldn't quite work out what. He hoped that maybe it was something to do with her Christmas shopping but that didn't seem to be the case as she brought into the living room a number of bottles, which he worked out was to make Snowballs with as she returned with two glasses and a piece of paper.

"Snowballs?" He said.

"Yes. I thought we needed a Christmassy drink with this."

"What is this?"

Rachel handed him the bit of paper and he read what she had written. It was so strange how Eddie was sure that he could instantly recognise her handwriting now. He didn't completely understand what she had written or what it had to do with what she wanted to do. She handed him a drink before she stood up again.

"Rachel, I'm confused."

"We are going to watch some Christmas films together. And so you stay awake, we are going to play a drinking game as well."

"So you are going to mix a warm room, alcohol and boring films. I don't think I am staying awake."

"I think you just need to open your mind a little more."

"I'm just saying."

Rachel grabbed the remotes before she dropped back down next to him. She placed a peck on his lips.

"Please. For me." She said.

Eddie felt himself roll his eyes knowing that he was in this whether he wanted to or not. Not that he said that. But if this was something that Rachel wanted to do, then he wasn't going to stop it. Because being curled up on the sofa with her on a Saturday afternoon was better than trying to persuade her not to do any work. Maybe he was finally getting through to her that she didn't need to work 24/7. Maybe he would finally be able to enjoy the weekends with Rachel rather than battle to get her attention. He only wanted her weekends.

Rachel found the channel that she wanted before she leant against him, with Eddie placing his arm around her to keep her in place.

The things he did for that woman.

By the third film, Eddie was definitely struggling to keep his eyes open. He was glad that his glass was empty as one of the things on Rachel's list happened. He didn't want to drink anymore. If Rachel had handed him a beer, he would have been able to go on for longer but shorts and liquor (like he was drinking) always got him faster.

Actually, Eddie knew what would help him and that was to have something to eat. He had no idea what the time was but he was sure that Rachel would have been a bit more organised than this. He felt like it was a good enough excuse to get up and use the bathroom while also hoping that he could get Rachel to have a takeaway.

"Rachel." He said, to catch her attention.

He waited for some response from her, whether that was a yes or just a hum. But he got nothing. He managed to move slightly to see that she had fallen asleep on him. He shook his head, knowing that he would never have heard the end of it if he had fallen asleep.

He managed to slip off the sofa, not waking her in the process, before he went to do a few things. Maybe he could order a takeaway for it to arrive before she woke up.

Rachel awoke to no Eddie and the smell of curry. She noticed that the TV was playing the end of a film but it took her a few moments to realise what had happened. She'd had a go at Eddie for falling asleep when watching Christmas films for her to do what he would have usually done.

For that reason, she felt guilty and even more so when Eddie walked in with two plates. He had cooked (although he was the better cook out of them) while she had been asleep for the best part of the afternoon.

"Good. You are awake." He said.

"Yeah. Sorry, I must have been tired." She said as she sat up and took one of the plates off him.

"It's fine, Rachel."

"Is it? When you have cooked?"

"Then I will admit now that I fancied a takeaway so I ordered one in."

She laughed. "Okay, that makes me feel a little better."

"Like you said, you must have been tired."

Eddie placed his plate down onto the coffee table and left again, just to get the naan bread and poppadoms before he settled next to her. As much as Rachel saw a takeaway as a treat, she couldn't help but think that it was something that she felt ended the day well.

Rachel had no idea why she still felt tired after having fallen asleep earlier and she knew that Eddie had noticed it as well. She wished that she had a reasonable explanation for it but she felt like she was sleeping well. If not, she was feeling like she was getting the most sleep that she'd had for a very long time.

"Are you okay?" Eddie said as she joined him in the bed.

"Yeah." She said at the same time as she yawned.

"Not sleeping well?"

"I feel like I am. Don't know what is wrong with me."

"Maybe you are burning the candle at both ends."

"With you about? I feel like I am never going to burn the candle at both ends again. You seem to get me… to relax or whatever."

"Then maybe something isn't wrong. Maybe it is right."

Rachel thought about what he had said and it made her wonder whether he was right. There was only one way for her to find out but part of her didn't want to find out. Just because of her idea to drink rather heavily during a Saturday afternoon. But then again, it would be the perfect Christmas surprise for them. And just for that reason, Rachel was going to do a test and, if it was positive, hope to keep it from Eddie as one part of his Christmas present.