Rachel was quiet on the journey home, playing with her necklace and watching the world go past as Eddie drove them, casting her unreadable glances every so often. That had been big, he knew, all but admitting outright to their colleagues that there was something going on between them. And he hadn't given her much choice in the matter.

"Rach-,"

He was cut off by the ringing of his mobile, not that Rachel have any indication that she'd heard either. He sighed, flicked the button in the hands-free. "Hello?"

"Eddie, it's Andy."

He stiffened, and from the corner of his eye saw Rachel's head snap up, expression apprehensive and wary. "What's up?"

"I wanted to let you know that a warrant was issued a couple of hours ago for the arrest of Stuart Hordley. He's got the means to lay low for a while- properties owned by shell companies, that sort of thing. He'll turn up though. That sort of guy always does."

Rachels face was unreadable, but her knuckles were shock white where she was gripping the seat. Eddie manoeuvred around a parked car, was careful to keep his voice neutral. "I appreciate the heads up. What about the arson investigation?"

"Off the record? I wouldn't worry about it."

Eddie swallowed, now looked at Rachel but she turned her head, avoided his gaze. "Thanks Andy. I owe you one."

"Hope this friend of yours appreciates it," he said lightly. Eddie's lips twitched at the unsubtle probing.

"I'm sure they do. Bye."

The line went dead, and left behind a deafening silence. One that Eddie allowed for the five minutes it took to reach Rachel's drive and pull in, before he twisted in his seat to look at her. "Tell me what you're thinking?"

She rested her head back against her seat. "I'm thinking," she said slowly, "that I am really tired of Stuart Hordley being a part of our lives." He wasn't sure who moved first, but their hands found each other and entwined, Rachel smiling a tired smile.

"Sweetheart..."

"Not tonight," she interrupted. "It's the end of the year, we were celebrating. Let's not ruin that tonight."

He watched her for a moment, but nodded. "Okay."

"What do you want for dinner? That new Thai place delivers if you fancy giving it a go?" She climbed from the car, shouldered her bag as if nothing was wrong and Eddie took a minute to catch up with the abrupt change. She kept him on his toes, he thought ruefully, but knew there was a small smile playing across his lips. "Sounds good."

They made it as far as the hallway, shucking jackets and shoes and Eddie wasn't really aware of what was happening before he unexpectedly found himself with Rachel's arms wrapped around him, the scent of her perfume suddenly overwhelming. It was almost instinctively that his own arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly to him as she pressed her face into his neck. "I've wanted to do this for about an hour," she joked lightly, but he heard the thread of vulnerability in her words, and tightened his grip.

They had all the time in the world. Nowhere to be, no one to answer to. So Eddie pressed a kiss to her hair and held her as fiercely as she did him and they stood there, wrapped in each other, with no need for words as they simply breathed together.

W.R.

It's early when Eddie wakes the following morning, and he wants to groan and curse at being up with the birds on the first day of summer when he should be blissfully unaware in the realms of sleep. And he's so tempted to bury his face in the pillow and go back there, except now he is awake, he's painfully aware of the gaping space in the bed beside him. And it's barely a decision to make.

He finds Rachel in the kitchen, clad in the clothes she'd slept in with a mug of tea clasped in her hands as she stared out the window. And for a second, his breath was trapped in his throat. The soft morning sunshine illuminated her, cast a haze around her form and the moment was so still, so perfect that all he could do was stare.

Until the itch to touch her became unbearable and he quietly padded forward, swallowing hard to hide his emotions so that when his voice rang out into the room, it was steady, if a little gruff from sleep. "You do remember we don't have work today?"

Rachel smiled, and leant back into his touch. "I didn't mean to wake you."

His lips pressed to the curve of her neck, sent nerve endings sparking. "You didn't. You okay?"

For a moment, she was silent, the only sound in the room that of their breathing. "I think I am..." she murmured, a little awed and a little disbelieving.

"Rachel?"

Abruptly she turned, placing her mug down and winding her arms around his neck all in one move. "I'm okay." Her smile grew, eyes sparkling. "Eddie, I'm actually okay."

Eddie was still a little confused but grinned back at her regardless, and held her tightly.

"Stuart's gone," she murmured and unseen by her, the expression was wiped from his face. "I don't really understand how, or why or even know for sure but I'm going to choose to believe it. He's gone, my secret is safe and I can carry on with life."

Eddie pressed a kiss to the side of her head, and kept quiet. He had no doubt she was right, although he wasn't about to tell her why he was so sure. That would be his secret, he and the fixer's. One, single secret that he would keep for Rachel's sanity and conscience. The only one he would ever keep from her, he promised himself silently, and sent up a silent thanks to the universe that this woman was here, in his arms.

"He's gone. It's over." Rachel closed her eyes against him, soaked in the warmth of his body as sunbeams began to warm her back. "And now…" She drew back, smiled slyly. "We have an entire summer to ourselves."

Eddie grinned. "That we do." He leant in, captured her lips with his own. "And what do you want to do with our first morning of it?"

She'd looped her arms around his neck, but now she dropped back, lowering them until her fingers skimmed the hem of his top. "I can think of a few ideas…"

She kissed him again, and again and then again. And somewhere in the middle of it all, with the last trace of coherency she had left, she thought that this was probably what happiness tasted like.

Finis.

This is it! Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read this, and an extra huge thank you to those who have reviewed. It truly does mean a lot xx