Thank you for the reviews.

Are you ready for a long one? Because there are going to be a few that are longer than others. Mainly because the idea got out of hand.

Also, does the North have a lot of snow? I am from the South (like South. Like I am half an hour away from the Port of Dover (just as a gauge of how far South in the UK I am)). So most of my snow knowledge is from what we get in the South. When it does snow. So I don't quite believe that something like this would happen in the UK but then again this is just fiction...

And Eddie's large family is somewhat based on my own family. As my mum is one of six and I am one of 17 grandchildren on that side of the family.

Side note. This is one of my favourites and I think it might be one of yours as well...

Set during 2007 and Series 3. And between Christmas and the new year. So after all the other chapters that have been set 2007/series 3.

Day Eight
Snowed In

While at work, it starts snowing with neither Rachel nor Eddie thinking anything of it. Until they attempt to leave in a blizzard. It looks like they might be staying for the night, with each other for company and, maybe, warmth.

Word count: 4,968

"You know, my whole family hates you now," Eddie said as he shrugged off his coat.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't stand being at mine with my sister."

Eddie watched Rachel for the moment as she finished off the paperwork that she had obviously left behind at the end of term and he just shook his head. He knew that he should have done what his family had told him to do and not answer the call from Rachel to meet her at the school to discuss a few things but he couldn't. Because he worried that it might have had something to do with what she had just said.

"Then why don't we take this to my parent's." He said. "It is between Christmas and the New Year."

"So?"

"So, do you ever stop working? I'm worried that you might be a workaholic."

Rachel threw down her pen and looked up at him. "Does it matter whether I am a workaholic or not?"

"Doesn't matter 50 weeks of the year."

"But does for two?"

"Everyone deserves a bit of time off. If you aren't going to have it at Christmas, then when are you going to have it."

"Like I've told you, Eddie. Me and Christmas… it isn't the same as you and Christmas."

"Then come and spend the day with us. Let us show you what this time is for." Eddie took a couple of steps to be in front of her desk. "Maybe stay for a couple of days if you enjoy yourself."

There was a moment when he thought that she might take his offer. Which sparked Eddie to make a plan in his head. One of the things that he wouldn't do would be to leave her alone with his family but to make sure that she was included. He could rope her into helping him, Lottie and Lois finish off the gingerbread house. He knew that he was getting too excited by it. It was an extremely dangerous thought and he should have known that it would have been way too soon for Rachel.

"I can't do that." She said.

"So you would just rather them all being annoyed at you because I am at work."

"You didn't have to come."

"I did."

He watched Rachel as she blinked up at him and he wondered whether he had said the wrong thing. Because things were different between them now and he was excited to see how that all played out. At the very least, he was looking forward to being her friend. If they were anything more, that would just be a bonus to him.

"You didn't." She said.

"And leave you here by yourself. Never." He cleared his throat. "So what did you want to discuss?"

"We already have two bids for the new training school."

"Right."

"And just any initiatives we plan on running before the end of the school year and who we want to run them."

"Nice and simple."

"Nice and simple," Rachel repeated with a smile.

"Can I guess that is for your hot chocolate?" Eddie said as he pointed towards the container on her desk.

"You offering?"

"I think I have watched you enough to know how to make it."

"And any of your speciality?" She said, with a raise of her eyebrows.

"Is that all you want me for now, Mason?"

"Of course not, Lawson. But I brought the drink."

Eddie tutted before he reached for his coat, digging into one of the pockets to pull out the sandwich bag of mince pies. He then reached into the other one to pull out the cake that his mum had given him, wrapped in tin foil.

"Hope you like Christmas cake as well." He said as he placed it down on the table. "Mum wouldn't allow me to leave without it."

"I am sure it is delicious."

Eddie gave her a smile before he took the container of milk off her desk and headed to the staffroom. He sighed as he looked out of the window, noting that it was starting to snow. He knew that he would prefer to be with his family, it wasn't too bad being in the school with Rachel. Mainly so she wasn't alone.

Rachel had noticed that it had started snowing but it hadn't mattered to her as Eddie returned with their drinks and they got on with business, with her mindful not to take too long. Just because she wanted a reason to get out of the house, it didn't mean that Eddie did.

They spoke quickly about the two companies that had put in a bid for the building work, looking through the plans that had been submitted and picking which one they preferred of the two.

Rachel knew that the weak link in her senior management team was Steph as her and Eddie bounced ideas off of each other, making good progress with how they wanted the rest of the school year to go. She knew that she needed someone stronger in the role of Head of Pastoral Care. Which is what led her on that topic.

"I think Steph needs a different challenge." She said.

"She isn't going to give up Pastoral Care easily."

"Even with all her failings?"

"Even with all her failings. She was the only one to apply for the role. Although, I do think that if you were a man, she would have turned on the charm to get her own way."

"Do you think that is what she did with Jack?"

"I don't think. I know. Jack was basically told to sack her by the LEA and he couldn't because she… blackmailed him by saying that he was sexually harassing her or something along those lines. I do think that she was harassing him."

"Maybe not remove her from the senior management team but put her energies into something else."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well, we've had quite a bit of interest before ROBEC and I plan to have more interest from local businesses as we grow it."

"So?"

"Finance director. Sweeten the deal by firstly getting her to invest in her own subject before we try and get her to what we actually want."

"What does she want?"

"Steph doesn't want anything. But the idea of a trip to France to try and get foreign investment for some language labs might appeal to her. They had some at the last school I worked at and the kids loved them. Give her a little to get a little."

"You are rather crafty," Eddie said after a moment.

"I try."

"Then while she is away, have someone else as Pastoral Care."

"Just slip Tom into the role."

"Tom?"

"Why? Do you have a better suggestion?"

Rachel watched Eddie as he thought about it and she was quickly coming up with her argument to why Tom. But she knew that Eddie would see it as a good idea without her having to argue with him.

"No, I agree with Tom," Eddie said.

"I'll call them before the new year. Offer Tom's role to him before I book the trip to France for Steph. Maybe she doesn't have to come back after Christmas and we can have a couple of weeks to sort out her classes and get them on track for her to carry that on."

"Carry on or show how bad of a teacher she is?"

"And to think you defended her on my first day."

"I think I did say something about her not being the greatest teacher in the world."

"You still defended her."

"Maybe, but your first day was a weird day."

Rachel sighed into the sofa a little more, feeling rather content to be with Eddie. She could tell herself the same lie that she wanted to talk about work but she didn't. She just wanted to be with him and away from Melissa. Maybe she should have taken up his offer of going to his parents. Just so she could witness what a proper Christmas and a proper family was like.

"I think we are done." Rachel said, knowing that she couldn't keep Eddie any longer.

"Sure?"

"Yeah. Anything else you think of can wait for the new year."

They collected up their things and Rachel knew that the new year wasn't that long away. She could survive until then with Melissa. It wasn't until they reached the foyer that they realised how much it had snowed in the time that they'd been at the school and there was no way that Rachel was getting home.

"I don't think it is safe out there." Rachel said.

Eddie didn't agree with her, trying to push on the door to leave but just getting a faceful of snow instead. She was sure that he thought he would be okay if he got to his car but there was just the problem of him getting to his car.

She did laugh at his attempt but she was now starting to feel bad that she had dragged him away from his family for them to both be stuck in the school.

"It might calm down in a bit," Eddie said as his phone rang. He sighed as he picked it up. "Hi, Mum. We have finished but it seems like we are snowed in here." He paused looking at Rachel. "Of course not, she is still here with me. No Mum, I am sure if we are here for the night, then the canteen has some food leftover from last term." He paused again. "Mum, who do you take me for? Yes, she liked your cake. Look, I'll see if I can get back later, okay? If not, I'll be back in the morning." He paused again. "Tell Lottie that I'll be back tomorrow to finish up. I promise." Eddie rolled his eyes at her. "Hey, Lottie. Look I'm snowed in at work. I promise that we will finish up the gingerbread house tomorrow, okay? Yes, that is an Uncle Eddie promise. Okay? See you later." He huffed again as he hung up.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"Not my fault I am the favourite."

"Are you now?"

"Fun Uncle Eddie." He said as he took a couple of steps towards her. "I've always been the cheeky one. James has always had the pressure of being the oldest and Tony was a mummy's boy that never left her side. Me and Alice had all the fun as kids. Then, as I am told all women do, she grew up. I didn't."

"Was it about the same time she had kids?"

"Yeah."

"Because she had more responsibility. That is what you men don't understand."

"How about we finish this argument in your office? It is freezing here."

Rachel rolled her eyes at him but turned on her heel to make it back to what should be the warmest room in the school. She wondered whether she wanted the snow to get better or not.

"Go on. You almost had it." Eddie said.

"When am I ever going to need this extensive knowledge of your family?" Rachel said.

"You might meet them one day."

Rachel rolled her eyes at him. It was easy to explain her family because Eddie already knew Melissa and Philip's names. That was it. That was her family. She did explain the few things that she remembered about her mum but when she died when Rachel was 10, it was becoming harder to remember the few good times that they had together.

Eddie's family wasn't that simple and they were passing the time by her trying to remember his siblings, their partners and their kids' names.

"So there is James and Zoe, with Catherine who likes to be called Cathy, Lydia and Danny. Then it is you, with Michael and Stephen. And I am going to include him because he is still your son. Then it is your sister, Alice and her husband, Ryan. Now they have… the boys. Oscar, Dylan, Issac… and the girl, Abbie." She took a breath. "Then it is… Tony and Claire with Lottie, Lois and… Ella."

Eddie clapped his hands. "That is it. That is my family."

"Your close family. Didn't you once say you were one of 20 grandchildren on one side?"

"Yeah, Mum's. Does help with that side, I have six sets of aunties and uncles. Obviously, my mum is one of seven."

"Seven?!"

"Yeah, in a three-bed council house. I suppose they made things work back then. Dad is one of four."

"But aren't you one of ten that side."

"Think, me and my brothers and sister make nearly half of that."

"I couldn't imagine having more than one. Especially at my age."

"Is that what you want?"

Rachel opened her mouth but the subject they were getting on felt a little personal. But then she realised that it was something that she could talk to Eddie about. Unlike her other friends, she didn't think that he would be as pushy as they were. That he wouldn't turn around to her and tell her that she needed to hurry up.

"One day." She said. "At least one."

"A mini you running around?"

"I would like to think that he or she would have got something off their father as well. What about you? Do you want more than just Michael and Stephen?"

"I think I might actually have to get over that before I think about any more children."

"I suppose you do have the rest of your life, don't you?"

"I don't think I would want to be any older. I have this feeling that Michael is going to wear me out when I have him."

"Not sorted that out yet."

"No." Eddie sighed. "How do you know so much?"

"My… ex. The last one. I watched him struggle to get in contact with his son. And I don't like to say it but his ex was a right bitch. She said that he could see him if he got his own place. When he did, it wasn't big enough. She got especially nasty when he started going out with me. She saw me as a childless woman trying to be a mum to her son. It was the reason that he broke up with me. She told him that he would let him see his son if he broke up with me. Still don't know whether he did get contact."

"Right. But I think there is more to it than that."

"I'm jealous. Of you. I don't want to be but I am. You know your parents. You see them. You have two brothers and a sister and all these nieces and nephews. And I'm jealous." Rachel sighed. "I never knew my dad. He skipped out before I was born, came back for a bit when I was four and left again when Melissa was born. It was the first lesson Mum taught me. Men are fickle and don't know responsibility. Mum died when I was 10.

"I lost touch with Melissa in my late teens to late-20s. She came back into my life with a husband and son and I only had my teaching career. To begin with, I thought I should be there because she is my sister. Later, I realised that it might have been because I didn't want to be on my own any more. But I know I've stayed by Melissa's side because of Philip. We don't get on. We tolerate each other. But Philip is a sweet boy and I love him to bits.

"He was this four-year-old boy who loved to be cuddled. He would die if I brought it up now but until the age of ten, he loved to be cuddled up to me. His cousins, obviously on his dad's side, used to take the mick out of him because he did like to be cuddled up to someone. With it just being me on his mum's side, he could do it and I loved it. Apparently, I was his favourite because of it. I think Melissa put an end to it." She sighed. "I hope he never gets sick of her like I get sick of her."

"I suppose, if you put it like that, you have every right to be jealous," Eddie said.

"It was just the hand that I was dealt." She paused. "So do you have a favourite?"

"No."

"Oh come on. Everyone has favourites."

"I don't have a favourite." He paused. "But I do remember being 21, getting home from my first day as an NQT to my mum telling me that I had a niece. Then holding Cathy in the hospital, keeping Zoe company as I just marvelled in this small human being one of us. Definitely the moment I thought that I would try to be the best Uncle I could be."

"I would think that you are."

Eddie seemed a little embarrassed by her last statement and part of her knew that he was probably his nieces and nephews favourite uncle. And he probably knew that.

Rachel watched him as he tilted his head to look out of the window. Things didn't look any calmer out there and she knew that this was it for the night, with the hopes that it would be better in the morning.

"I think we need to start thinking a little bit long term." He said as he looked back at her.

"I think you are right."

"You know, I never sorted out the camping stuff from my failed bad boys trip. There might be a couple of sleeping bags."

"I think we are going to need more than that. I can feel it is a lot colder in here."

"We can get a couple of the cushions from the chairs and stuff in the staffroom." He paused. "We might just… might have to." He trailed off.

Rachel got what he meant. It didn't mean that she didn't love the way that he got all flustered. It had been what she had been thinking about a bit over the holidays and what she needed to decide. Because she hadn't missed how things had changed between her and Eddie. From the hot chocolate and mince pies to the Christmas jumpers and the snowball fight to what almost happened at the Christmas do, she wondered whether things were moving in one direction without her really realising it. And maybe, for her, that was the best way for it to happen. For her to fall in love without her even knowing about it.

"We might have to what?" She said, trying to play it innocently.

"Well… it might be best if… we used… each other's… body heat."

"I'm not really that type of girl."

"I didn't…"

"I know." She said, interrupting him. "I know how you meant it. I'm just joking with you."

"Good."

"But I am still not that type of girl." She said as she stood up to get more cushions from the staffroom. "I would want a good night over a nice meal with good company first."

Rachel left Eddie with that, thinking that she had given him a good enough hint that it was the way that their relationship could go. Maybe it wasn't as subtle as she had been in the past. But maybe it didn't matter as much as it did in the past. She felt like Eddie's actions hadn't been subtle in showing her that he was into her. But then again, she had read a man wrong before.

Eddie wasn't a hundred per cent sure how he wanted Rachel to be lying next to him. The temperature in her office had seemed to drop more than they were expecting and they were huddled under the layers that they had managed to pull together to keep them warm, lying on the floor of her office.

She was already closer to him than he had been thinking, with the smell of her perfume clear, with him wondering what perfume she wore for him to still be able to smell it now. Although, he did wonder whether she was thinking the same about him and his aftershave.

He really hoped that his body would behave. Because he didn't want to jump the gun. Especially after what she said.

"Have you always been a loud thinker?" She said, moving a little closer to him.

"Sorry?"

"This was your idea."

"You agreed."

"That was because I thought you were a gentleman."

"Not my fault you are an attractive woman."

"Am I?"

"I'm surprised that no one has wanted you to be theirs."

"I just seem to keep picking the wrong guys."

"Is that why you said what you said earlier? About a good meal and company?"

"Maybe I learnt the hard way about just jumping in bed with people." She paused. "Maybe I just realised that I fell in love too quickly."

As much as Eddie had the urge to just cup her face and kiss her (like he had wanted to do at the Christmas do), he didn't quite think that it would completely go down the way that he wanted it to. So for once in his life, he listened to the woman lying next to him. He pulled her a little closer to him, just to keep her warm and he allowed her to drift off in his arms, hoping that his body would be the gentleman that she thought he was.

As much as Rachel wanted to say that she loved waking up in Eddie's arms, she was more than aware that she was lying on the floor of her office, wrapped up in her deputy's arms, feeling like she would just have to accept that their relationship had already jumped a couple of stages.

Because, if they were just friends, she didn't think that she would be lying there, wanting to wake up this way each and every morning. Or how she didn't mind his gentle snores. Or whether he was a deep enough sleeper for her to just press their lips together, just to see what it was like to kiss him.

She cursed herself for falling in love again. Because it never ended well when she did and she would hate to add Eddie to her list of regrets. Because she would definitely regret messing up anything that they had.

Rachel sighed as she wriggled out of his grip, with him waking up as her phone rang. She knew who it was going to be, with Philip realising the previous afternoon that she wasn't home. Trust her sister to only notice that she was missing.

"Melissa." Rachel said as she answered the phone.

"Rachel, where are you?"

"I'm still at the school. The snow was quite bad yesterday. We didn't think that it was worth the risk."

"We?"

"Me and Eddie. Eddie is my deputy."

"So you are both at the school, on your own. Please say he is good looking."

"We aren't having this conversation now."

"Good on you Rachel. Did you take control or did you allow him to be the boss for once?"

"I am not having that conversation with you."

Eddie came into view, asking her whether she wanted a drink. She could tell that he was still half asleep but she nodded at him, just to get him out of her office so she didn't hear her side of the conversation with her sister.

"Rachel, there is no shame in it. I mean, my first fantasies were my teachers. And then I have had quite a few thoughts of my bosses and a desk. If you know what I mean."

"Oh, God." Rachel said as she sighed. "Melissa. It isn't like that."

"Maybe it should be like that. I know you hate to admit it but you are lonely and it has been a long time since you had someone. But here is where you go wrong. Don't look for someone to fall in love with. Maybe just find someone that you can have a bit of fun with. Maybe more of a friend with benefits. Keep it casual."

"And Eddie would be the last person I would do anything like that with. He is my deputy. We have to work together. I can't be having something casual with him." Rachel stopped as she realised what she had said. "Not that I am looking for something casual or that I am looking for anything more with Eddie. I'll be home soon."

"I think we need to continue this conversation."

"No, we don't."

"And I want to know everything."

Rachel allowed Melissa the last word. Mainly because she wanted her to stop talking. She was not going to have something casual with Eddie and she was definitely not just going to jump in bed with him. She couldn't blur the lines between them too soon.

"It does look better out there," Eddie said as he handed her a coffee.

"Good."

"Although, I'll drop you home. My car can take it. I don't think you would be too happy if you crashed the TT."

"Definitely not. I'll have to walk back when it has melted so I can pick it up."

"Why not get Melissa to drop you off?"

"Believe me. I will want the walk."

"Uncle Eddie's back," Lois shouted as she ran into him.

Eddie picked her up and placed her on his hip. He popped his head into the living room and told Lottie to give him half an hour to have a shower and get changed then they would finish up the gingerbread house. He walked into the kitchen to his Mum, Zoe and Alice.

"Edward." His mum said. "You must be frozen."

"I'm fine Mum."

"Of course he's fine. He is a red-blooded male." Alice said.

"Alice, really?" He said.

He placed Lois down as she squirmed in his arms and he had to sigh as Zoe walked over and smelt his jumper. It would just be his luck that some of Rachel's perfume had clung to him. He was not going to live this one down for a while.

"Sorry? Did you say that your boss called you in?" Zoe said.

"Yes, she did."

"And did you get stuck at the school?"

"I mean, first the jumpers and now this. I think Ed might be in love." Alice said.

Eddie hoped that he wasn't blushing as his mum asked what Alice meant by the jumpers. His mum seemed to take Alice's explanation without asking him about it (although he was sure it would be topic of conversation later on), leaving them in the kitchen to see what the others were doing and whether anyone was starting to get hungry.

"So who is she?" Zoe asked.

He was extremely hesitant, mainly because he knew how they all could be. This would only be the start of the teasing.

"Oh come on Eddie. You are talking to us. It isn't like you are talking to the airheads that we call brothers. No offence Zoe." Alice said.

"She's… called Rachel. And she is my boss. And I've only known her for six weeks and." He stopped. "And I am attracted to her. Was from her first day."

"This is different."

"Maybe she just isn't attractive on the outside. It seems really… strange but she is absolutely beautiful inside and out and… I'm loving getting to know her. I'm looking forward to going back to work after Christmas and being there, working alongside her, as her deputy and friend and… And she keeps telling me these little bits about her life and I just want to find out more about her so I can make things different for her."

"Christ, you are in love," Zoe said.

"Does that matter?" He asked.

"Not at all," Alice said. "You need any advice from a woman's perspective, then you call us. We will make sure you don't mess this one up."

Eddie smiled at his sister and sister-in-law. He fully expected to go and do his earlier plan of a shower and to get changed to finish up the gingerbread house. That was until his phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket, with Alice coming to look over his shoulder to see who was calling him.

"Why on Earth is Alison calling you?" Alice said, leading to Zoe having an equally confused look on her face.

"Because of Rachel," Eddie said as he answered the phone. "Hi, Alison."

"Eddie, is this a good time?"

"Yeah, yeah. What's up?" He said as he left the kitchen and made his way up the stairs to get a bit of privacy. Maybe for once, his Christmas was not going to go as planned and he found himself not worried about that at all.