Thank you for the reviews.

So I think we need a bit of 'early in their relationship' Reddie. The 'they are still acting cute but it is cuter because they are actually together' type thing...

Set during 2008 (and sort of series 4, with no fire...).

Day Six
Ice Skating

Rachel and Eddie decide to go ice skating, which is fine for Rachel (who Eddie thinks is a secret Olympic figure skater) but not so fine for Eddie (who can just about stand on the ice).

Word count: 1,431

Eddie knew that it had been his idea. That Rachel had tried to argue that it might not be the best idea in the world but she hadn't really put up that much of a fight when he said that he would pay. But he couldn't stop the nerves as they waited in the queue to pay and then getting their skates.

He was slowly realising how much of a bad idea it was and how badly it went last time he went on the ice. There was every chance that Rachel could also be bad but Eddie struggled to think of any that Rachel hadn't been good at, other than building a gingerbread house.

He tried to project confidence as he stepped onto the ice, thinking that he might need to hold the side for the first lap at least to try and get his balance. He hadn't noticed that Rachel was already on the ice when he finally took the first tentative steps onto the ice. He made it to the second corner before she came up beside him.

"You okay?" She asked, turning to be leaning against the side.

"Just a bit rusty."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"This was your idea."

"I know. I'll be fine."

"Okay." Rachel said before she skated off again.

He couldn't help but smile as she pushed herself off again, placing her hands behind her back, like she was some professional. So that was why she didn't really argue that hard with him. Because she was already quite good at it.

He tried to push himself out of the corner, attempting to skate to the next corner without using the side. He was sure that he would get it in the hour slot that they had, but it obviously wasn't going to come to him as naturally as it did with Rachel. He just about stopped himself from falling over by crashing into the side, even though he did almost take out someone else in the process. The last thing he wanted to do was fall over.

He could tell that Rachel was trying not to laugh at him but it was getting the better of her as the smile continued to grow on her face.

"Sure you are okay." She said.

"Yeah."

"I think that woman would disagree."

"Sorry," Eddie said as he turned to the woman, who looked as unsteady as him.

"And there is also the way that you are holding onto the side." She offered him her hands. "Come on."

"No way."

"Why not?"

"Because if I'm going down, then I am not bringing you down with me."

"You won't."

"How can you say that?"

"Because if you look like you are about to fall, I am sorry but I am going to let go of your hands."

"Fair enough."

"Come on Lawson."

Even though they had been dating for four months, Eddie still loved the way that Rachel's hand would slip into his and feel like it fitted to be there. He focused on her smile and the way that she was helping him out. He thought he might be getting it when he felt his balance shifting and he knew that he was going over. Rachel's hands didn't leave his, meaning that as his feet went forward, he leant back and there was only one way it was going to end and it ended that way.

Eddie grunted as his back hit the ice and he was quite glad when Rachel managed to stop herself from completely falling on top of him, with her knee a lot closer to his groin that he would have liked. Her hands landed on his stomach and he started laughing as she did, letting his head rest back on the ice for a moment.

Rachel composed herself enough to get herself up and back stable on the ice. Eddie would have liked to stay down for a little longer but he could feel the cold soaking through his jeans and he was aware that he was in the way and in danger of someone either falling on top of him or skating into him and injuring him with their skates. He got himself onto his feet and against the barrier before he could fall over again.

"This was your idea." Rachel reminded him.

"Well we can't all be secret Olympic figure skaters, can we now?"

"Maybe it is something I have done more as an adult rather than as a child. It was something that I always wanted to do as a kid but, as you know, we never had the money to spare. Luckily my flatmates at uni were up for going as well. It was definitely on the list of things that I wanted to do as a kid and still wanted to do as an adult."

"Go on then. Go and enjoy the hour. I might be by the exit by the time it is over."

"Sure?"

"Yes, you enjoy yourself."

Eddie was sure that he wouldn't forget the smile on Rachel's face as she skated off and he wondered how long he could stay there and watch her before he would have someone, as inexperienced as he was, crash into him.

Rachel brushed the bit of ice out of Eddie's hair as they waited in line for a coffee. He turned to her and she gave him a smile.

"You had some ice in your hair." She said.

"Probably when I fell over."

"Which time?"

"The first time. The dodgy knee is going to be the other two times."

"Why did you suggest it?"

"I am wondering that myself," Eddie said before they reached the till to order their coffees.

Rachel allowed Eddie to order and pay, knowing that they had become more comfortable with each other paying for stuff without arguing whose turn it was. Things were still new between them but Rachel liked how things had progressed with Eddie. They had gone from being the best of friends to low-key dating. She knew that Eddie would want to make their relationship public at some point soon but part of her loved the dream that she was dreaming.

They sat down with their drinks, dumping the bags of shopping underneath the table. It had been the reason that they had come into town, with Rachel helping Eddie out with gifts for his family and Eddie proving some guidance on what a 15-year-old boy might want with one of his nephews being a similar age.

"I tell you what, I am glad that I've made a dent into my Christmas shopping," Eddie said.

"I've completed mine."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Philip and Melissa are done and I saw something a while ago that I wanted to get you and I got something rather generic as my secret Santa this year. That is me done."

"Maybe I need to offload some family members on you."

"I'm sorry I don't have the same size family as you."

"Well… I suppose it might also depend on us."

"How do you mean?"

Rachel felt Eddie hesitate but she felt like she could already guess how he meant it.

"Depends on how serious we get, won't it? I won't be able to keep you a secret from my family forever. I will be told off by the scariest woman in the world then."

"Your mum?"

"If this Christmas was like last Christmas, I think I was so close to being waterboarded because Alice mentioned the jumpers. 'Ed must have a new girl. Why else would he have asked for my Christmas jumpers that didn't fit anymore?'" He paused. "And don't start calling me Ed. I hate it and they know it."

"Really?"

"Rach."

"Oh, it could be worse."

"How?"

"They could call you Teddy or Ted."

"And for that reason, and that reason alone, you are now never meeting my family."

Rachel laughed and was glad when a smile did rise on Eddie's face. It was weird how they knew when to be serious around each other and when they could be silly. It was an occasion where they both knew each other was joking without them having to say.

But the whole conversation had put a dangerous thought in Rachel's mind. Because now she was, yet again, imagining what Christmas at the Lawsons was like and she was wondering whether she would fit into it.