Thank you for the reviews.

Does this seem like a little bit of an afterthought? Although, I think that could be said with all these later chapters where I had finally wrapped my head around where I wanted this story to go...

And the no electric thing happened to me one Christmas. No electric from Christmas Eve to about 28th (I think). It was a strange Christmas as we were meant to be spending that Christmas at home...

Set on Christmas day 2011.

Day Sixteen
Christmas Dinner

Rachel and Eddie say that they will host on Christmas Day, which Rachel was okay with until they realised how many people Eddie has invited.

Word count: 2,371

Rachel couldn't stop herself from stopping and backtracking as she noticed that Eddie was standing in their dining room.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Working it out." He said, not looking up at her.

"Working what out?"

"Where everyone is going to sit?"

"How do you mean?"

He huffed as he looked up at her. "We are definitely going to need a kids table."

It was then, and only then, that Rachel realised what he was doing and where it was going to go.

Rachel had slightly complained the year before that she didn't like how they had to up route Isobel and take her to James and Zoe's. Apparently, it had been the first year ever that they hadn't had Christmas at Eddie's parents because they lost electricity that year, meaning that Christmas was more than a little different.

There wasn't the arriving on Christmas Eve and leaving on 2nd January. There wasn't the big celebrations and the gingerbread house making. They weren't all together. Which Rachel did but didn't miss out on. They have a five-month-old to entertain. Rachel was more than happy to spend most of the time at home.

So when it came about that the work on Eddie's parents' house wasn't going to be completed by Christmas, Rachel thought it was best to say that they were going to do it. Firstly, Isobel would be at home and they didn't have to think of everything for the 17-month-old. Secondly, she wouldn't have Melissa in her ear, moaning that she never got to see her at Christmas now.

It never hit Rachel that it meant that Eddie would invite his parents, three siblings and in-laws, and his ten nieces and nephews.

"Oh, God." Rachel said.

"Oh, you forgot."

"I didn't forget." She paused. "I just forgot how many of you there are."

"Well, Isobel can be on my lap."

"Eddie, is that really a solution?"

"I'll put Lottie in charge of the kids' table. She is 12 now."

"So Lottie down at the kids' table?"

"Yeah. Lottie, Isaac, Abbie, Lois and Ella. And Michael if I continue the argument with Alison that he will probably not see my parents unless we have him Christmas day."

"That leaves you, me, your parents, Melissa, Philip, James, Zoe, Alice, Ryan, Tony, Claire, Cathy, Lydia, Oscar, Danny and Dylan to get around this table." Rachel paused. "We are never going to get 17 people around this table. Can't Danny and Dylan join the kids' table? Still place Lottie in charge though."

"I don't think we are going to fit 15 people around this table."

"I could try and put off Melissa. I will definitely have to tell her that she can't bring a plus one."

"We'll sort it," Eddie said.

"I am glad you are a mathematician now."

"I wouldn't talk too soon."

Rachel gave him a smile before she realised that this was probably, definitely not going to work out as planned.

Things were definitely manic in the Lawson household and Isobel had decided to time a tantrum at the same time that Eddie's parents arrived. Meaning that as Rachel tried to calm the 17-month-old down, it was left to Eddie to answer the door after making sure that none of the pots on the hob were going to spill over in the meantime.

"Edward, you better not have left that wife of yours in the kitchen." His mum said.

"No. No. No. Isobel's just… erupted." Eddie said.

"Eddie! I think she is too hot. I'm going to take her outside for a bit to cool her down." Rachel shouted.

"I'll go and help her out. Robert, you help Edward." His mum said before she left them to it.

Eddie just looked at his dad before he showed him to the kitchen.

"Seems strange again not being at home again." His dad said.

"You're telling me. How do you do it all?"

"Struggling?"

"Mainly to get everyone round a table."

"How have you sorted it?"

"There is an adults table, an adult kids table and a kids table. Honestly Dad, it was the only way to sort it."

"Why do you think we did the extension all those years ago when both Zoe and Alice announced that they were pregnant? We knew we needed the room."

"And Rachel forgot how many people would be coming round. I mean, she has only known her, Melissa and Philip. But I agree with Rachel. I wouldn't want Isobel in the car as she was when you turned up."

"It is all part of it."

"So can we have Christmas at home next year? Proper Christmas?"

"Well, unless we don't have electric again, that is the plan."

"Good. Otherwise, it would be Alice and Ryan next."

"Good luck with that one."

"I'll go and get another bottle of wine," Melissa said as she left the room.

Rachel only realised how comfortable she had got around Eddie's family when she realised that Melissa was the one that was the most uncomfortable in the room.

All the 'children' were in the various other rooms, keeping themselves entertained, while the adults were all fighting the urge to fall asleep in the living room. Rachel found herself sharing a sofa with Eddie and Alice, with her leaning against Eddie, with his arm resting over her shoulder and his hand in her lap, and her legs over Alice's (with Alice not minding that her legs were there, even encouraging her to have her legs there). Robert had taken the armchair (and fell asleep almost immediately) while Sue, Zoe and Claire had taken the other sofa. Tony was lying on the floor and Ryan was leant against one of the sofas while James was currently searching through their bookshelves (with the majority of the books belonging to Rachel). Melissa had taken one of the chairs out of the dining room so that she had somewhere to sit but it was clear that she didn't just click with them like Rachel had done a couple of years ago. She didn't notice that it was that way at their wedding but Rachel knew that Melissa was a lot more drunk at their wedding than she was now.

Isobel's timing felt impeccable as Rachel was sure she was just drifting off.

"I'll get her," Eddie said.

"You stay there, Edward," Sue said. "I'll get her."

"Sue, she is teething as well as the moment. There is a teething ring in the fridge." Rachel said.

"Don't worry, dear. I've got this."

Rachel didn't think for a second that Sue didn't know what she was doing. After all, she raised four children of her own before playing a part in helping to raise the 13 grandchildren that she had been blessed with. If anything, it was one of the things that Rachel was grateful for. She finally had a family that she felt a part of and that was thanks to Eddie.

"Wine?" Melissa said as she held up the bottle as she returned.

She got a couple of mumbles that they were okay, with Zoe and Alice saying that they would have a bit.

"Honestly, does your mum always call you Edward, Eddie? I didn't even know that you were an Edward until the wedding." Melissa said as she sat back down.

"It was only at secondary school that I started using Eddie. Like Tony started using Tony." Eddie said.

"Mum always said that she took time in choosing our names so she is going to call us by them. We don't mind. She is literally the only person we know who calls Dad, Robert." Tony said.

"I suppose at some point, Isobel will be an Izzy then." Rachel said.

"If she wants to be," Eddie said.

"Hold on Eddie. Cathy is only Cathy because you started calling her Cathy." Zoe said.

"And Abbie," Alice said.

"Lottie," Claire said.

"That wasn't all me," Eddie said.

"You just watch him, Rachel. Isobel will be Izzy before you know it." Alice said.

"It isn't like you don't call Philip, Phil," Melissa said.

"True." Rachel said as she started to play with the rings on Eddie's finger. "Maybe it is just a natural thing that you do end up doing."

"Definitely more natural for others. Hey Ed." Alice said.

Rachel couldn't stop herself from smiling as the siblings started to squabble for Robert to wake up and as what they were arguing about, for some rather childish answers to fall out of their mouths. If anything, it confirmed to her that she needed the chat that she needed with Eddie. Because she knew exactly what she wanted. She just wondered whether it was too late for them.

Eddie knew Rachel well enough to know when something was on her mind. Which is why he said that he would get Isobel settled, meaning that she would think about it and by the time he got to their bedroom, she would have found the words to be able to tell him.

Which is why he could only smile as she took his hands in hers as he walked into the room and sat them both down on the side of the bed.

"I want… I want Isobel to have what you have." Rachel said.

He didn't think that she would quite come out with it like that but he instantly knew which part of what he had that he wanted Isobel to have.

"I don't quite think we have enough time for exactly what I have." He said.

She laughed. "No. And… I wouldn't want to do that to you. Not when you struggled with Isobel in those first few months."

"I'll be better this time."

"I would think something was wrong with you if you weren't worried, Eddie. I already accepted that it was going to be a part of her early life. That you would be watching her like a hawk. That you would read up on everything so that it didn't happen again. So while you looked up that, I looked up how to support you through it."

"Because that is what makes us the best team in the world."

"But you are right." Rachel said before she sighed. "I am 41. I felt like I was leaving things late with Isobel."

"Then why don't we see how… possible it is before we start making grand plans? Between now and the new year, we will find a clinic or go to the doctors and we can go from there. If we know that it is possible, then there is a point of us using every available moment to make it happen." He expected the push that Rachel gave him and her smile. "And if it is not, then we make sure that Michael is always in Isobel's life. We leave it as it would have been nice but life didn't work out that way for us. Because we would have met earlier if it was going to happen that way."

"I… do wish that I had met you sooner."

"You know, I almost went on holiday the year that Stephen died and everything went to shit."

"2004 right?"

"Right?"

"You know what, so did I. Melissa had been living with me and it was too long for me."

"I just couldn't put up with everyone asking me if I was alright."

"Just think what would have happened if we had met then."

"Well, emotionally, I wouldn't have been in the right place."

"We could have been friends first."

"Yeah. I think I could have done with a friend like you at the time."

Eddie knew that Rachel wasn't going to keep that conversation going, leaning forward to kiss him before pulling him on top of her as she laid them down. They moved together, so that they were on the bed properly before Rachel stopped the kiss, with Eddie knowing that she had something else to say.

"Do you know what was nice about today? In a horrible way." She said.

"No, what?"

"That, for once, I was in a room full of people that I felt comfortable around and Melissa wasn't." She hesitated. "I realised how at home I feel with your family. And that is why I always want Isobel to feel that."

"I can promise you one thing, she will never feel the way that you felt. Because I know you are going to do everything in your power so Isobel doesn't feel the way that you did growing up. Okay? And Mum is more likely to keep you than me."

Eddie was glad that Rachel laughed at that. Although he did think that it would be true if their marriage did break down (not that Eddie could see Rachel allowing that to happen). He couldn't help but kiss her again, restarting what she had started.

He knew that they had just put a bit of a dampener on what was a good day. That the thoughts wouldn't go away when they were going to wake up in the morning. He knew that they could wish for this, that and the other but nothing would change things. There was no way to change when they met or when they got together or when Isobel came along. And whether they would have another little one would add to what they had but it wouldn't take away from the fact that Rachel had a rough childhood and Eddie had lost Stephen. Because Eddie was very sure that things would be completely different if things hadn't happened that way. And, because of that, he could live with the cards he had been dealt. Just as long as he could spend the rest of his life loving Rachel, then the past could be the past.