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Rachel couldn't remember the last time she had allowed herself to act so childishly. The Ferris Wheel had only been the beginning- she and Eddie ended up going on half the rides at the fair, as well as playing a lot of the games that were littered around. Eddie was awful at a lot of them, until he got lucky at one which required more luck than skill, and grinningly handed her a giant cream teddy bear, complete with a tartan ribbon around its' neck. She burst out laughing as she wrapped her arms around it, planting a swift peck on his cheek in thanks.

They shared a candyfloss as the sky above them began to darken, Eddie excitedly leading her towards the ghost train ride. "I hate these," she protested, but he pouted at her.

"Please Rach? I can't go on by myself!"

She couldn't say no, but eyed the ride apprehensively as she settled the bear next to her, sliding closer to Eddie as soon as he'd sat down. "I really hate these," she repeated, just as the ride lurched forwards.

Eddie was delighted, laughing through the flashing lights and fake fog. A sharp pain in his leg had him looking down- Rachel had a death grip on him, her nails digging in but the glimpses of her face that he could see revealed it wasn't just an act.

She was so stiff he was actually concerned, wrapping his arm around her tightly and she flinched at every light and noise around them. In the flashes of bright light he managed to see her face, and she was sheet white, lips pressed together tightly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded once they were off.

"I did!"

"You said you hated them, not that you're deathly afraid of them!"

She flushed pink. "I am not afraid! I just… don't like those rides."

"You looked like you were going to pass out."

She snorted. "Please. It would take a lot more than a silly kids' ride."

He ignored her, a finger under her chin forcing her to look at him. "Next time, tell me," he said gently. She stared at him with wide eyes for a moment, before giving him a small nod.

It seemed no time at all before darkness had fallen completely, though it was easy to forget amongst the lights of the fair. There was a firework show scheduled for that evening, and they didn't even have to discuss it as they found a spot on the field, leaning back against a haybale as they ate noodles from a vendor and waited for it to start.

It was an odd feeling, Rachel thought, sat in the darkness. Despite being surrounded by people and noise, it felt like they were in their own little bubble. Sat so close she could practically feel the heat emanating from him, it would have been so easy to lean into him, and even easier to simply stretch up and allow their lips to meet.

But she didn't. Instead, she set her food to one side, turning to look at him. "Eddie?"

"Hm?"

"Why Melissa?"

It was a question that had been burning within her for over a year now, one she'd ignored in the past in favour of having him, of not rocking the boat. But after everything, she found she could no longer pretend the man in front of her hadn't been ready to marry her sister, mere months after declaring interest in her.

For his part, the question took Eddie by surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Why her? Was it because she was there, or because…?" of who she was? She couldn't bring herself to say it aloud, but he knew anyway and closed his eyes for a second.

"Do we have to go there?" he asked, a little desperately.

"I think we do."

"You're not going to like the answer."

"I never thought I would."

He sighed. "Rachel…"

"The truth, Eddie. Please."

This was not going to portray him in a good light, he knew, and shamefully for one moment he considered twisting the truth slightly. But she would probably know, and he definitely would and he would never stop feeling guilty for it.

"She was there, and she was willing," he said simply, avoiding looking at her. "After the first day back… I was hurt, and you refused to even talk about anything and then Melissa was there, more than interested and I knew…"

"You knew what?" she prompted when he didn't finish his sentence.

"That it would hurt you."

The words hung in the air between them, and there was no way for him to take the sting out of them.

"It was a mistake, Rachel," he continued quietly. "I was angry and rejected and not thinking properly. And Melissa wanted me. You didn't seem to even notice, once you had you didn't seem to even care but Mel did, so it just kept going further and further and by the time I realised that you were just hiding all your emotions… I was already in too deep."

"So you were only with Melissa to get back at me?"

It was impossible not to miss the dangerous note in her voice, and he was suddenly reminded that no matter what had happened, Rachel was still Mel's big sister. "Of course not," he assured her hurriedly. "I did care for her. Maybe I even loved her. But… I was in love with you."

Her eyes snapped to meet his, an unreadable emotion in them.

"I made some really bad, rash decisions that came from a place of anger and hurt," he continued quietly when she made no comment. "And I wish I could go back and change things."

"What would you change?"

His gaze pierced hers at the sudden question. "I would never have pushed you, that night at the pub. I would have waited, made sure you knew I was still there but not pressed until you were ready, had settled back into school and were fully recovered. I certainly would never have looked at Melissa. And eventually, when you were back to being the Rachel I'd known before the summer, I'd have invited you out again, only this time we would actually have made it."

That hadn't been entirely what she meant, but she couldn't deny the pang of wistful longing that ran through her at his words. Where would they be if that had happened? What would have changed?

Eddie brought her back to reality with a hand brushing back her hair, and her breath caught at the tender expression on his face, barely visible through the darkness. "I'd have taken you somewhere nice," he continued softly, "somewhere that was more than just an evening out with colleagues. And when I dropped you home, I'd have done nothing more than kiss your cheek in goodbye. Because our first proper kiss would have been further down the line, when it was special and right. Maybe during a game of bowling?" A faint smile played across his lips, and she couldn't help but respond in kind, enraptured by the picture he was creating. "Regardless, I would have chosen you from the beginning, tried to make sure you never had a reason to doubt me. I'd have made sure you knew the entire time exactly how I feel about you, made sure to tell you that I don't care about your scar or your past or anything else. Just about you."

He caught hold of her hand, raised it to press a kiss to the backs of her fingers. "I'm sorry, Rachel. I should never have pushed you, especially not then and I should never have gone anywhere near Melissa."

"I pushed you away," she admitted. "And Melissa… I know what she's like. I was scared, Eddie, of so much. I'm sorry too."

He pulled her into a hug and for perhaps the first time, she didn't flinch at his touch. "I know the past has happened, and we can't ignore it," he said as he pulled back. "But can we move past it? Can you?"

Rachel had never been so grateful for a firework in her life. The first exploded above them, saving her from answering as explosions filled the air, timed with deafening music and promptly cutting off all conversation.

They watched the show, and Eddie had to admit it was one of the better ones he'd seen. The flashing colours illuminated the field for split seconds, allowing him glimpses of the entranced expression on Rachel's face, until what seemed like hours later the finale lit the sky up with white light and gave him a few seconds longer. She was smiling slightly as she watched the embers fall back to earth, not noticing his eyes on her until the last few moments.

As the rest of the crowd cheered and applauded before beginning to leave, neither Rachel nor Eddie moved. "It's getting late," Rachel murmured eventually, and disappointment flooded through him.

He gave a sharp nod, albeit unseen and climbed to his feet, automatically reaching out to help her to hers. Only once upright she didn't pull her hand away, both staring at each other through the dim light.

"I can't do this," he blurted out, dropping her hand. She stared at him, hurt running through her as possibilities raced through her head. Had he changed his mind already? After all he'd said? Eddie rubbed the back of his neck, looking at her in frustration. "Rach, I can't play games with you."

"Who's playing games?"

"You are! One moment you're holding my hand and the next you're flinching away from my touch!" he accused. "I don't understand what you want from me, where we both stand."

Instantly, she opened her mouth to protest… only to realise he was right. Guilt washed through her, teeth catching on her lip. "I'm sorry."

He looked surprised; he hadn't been expecting her to concede so quickly.

"Eddie, I don't know what…" she trailed off, arms wrapping around herself as she struggled to find the words.

"What you want?"

But she shook her head. "No, I know what I want. I just… everything that happened, Mel and the baby… Eddie, it tore me apart."

She sagged a little at the confession, dropping to sit on the nearby haybale and after a moment, he copied her. "I'm sorry."

"It wasn't just you," she said tiredly. "It's everything. The last two years, every time something seems to be going well, it all just falls apart again. And the thought of going through all that again…"

He went cold. "You don't want this."

"No, that's just it. I do." She looked at him, eyes glassy. "I really do. It just… Eddie, this scares me."

Instantly, the slight anger he was still holding inside vanished. How could he be angry at that? He reached for her, carefully, and took her hand. "Rach, I can't promise that everything is going to be sunshine and roses," he said softly. "But I can promise you that we're better together. We always have been. Darling, everything that could go wrong already has and here we are, still together despite everything, just like we're always going to be. Please don't be frightened, not of this."

He was looking at her earnestly, his fingers gentle as they curled around hers. Something inside Rachel melted, the sliver of fear inside her easier to push away in the face of his absolute belief and it was almost too easy to lean forward and softly press her lips to his.

It was slow and sweet and as close to perfect as it could be. Rachel's hand came to rest on his cheek as they parted, biting her lip as she second guessed her move but instantly Eddie smiled, a warm, adoring smile that caused her heart to skip and a hundred memories to crash over her. And then his mouth was on hers again, gentle but with an edge of tenuous restraint that promised heat and passion as soon as they were no longer in public.

"Tell me you're sure," he begged breathlessly, barely breaking away far enough to speak as he wrapped an arm around her waist to draw her closer. She nodded, drawing him in again for another long kiss.

"I'm sure. Don't leave me again."

She didn't care how pitiful she sounded, didn't care how much of herself she was exposing to him as she pressed herself closer, felt his own grip tighten in response. "Never…" He kissed her again and again, revelling in the fact that he could finally do so.

When the need to catch their breaths became urgent, they parted, Eddie resting his forehead against hers with a smile on his face. She began to giggle, softly at first but then louder and he couldn't help but join in, pure joy racing through his veins as he pulled her into and embrace. "God, I've missed you."

She dropped a kiss to his neck, the only part of him she could currently reach, and held him tightly.