Happy New Year everyone, I hope that the fact that I'm posting this on the first day of the New Year is a sign of how the rest of the year is going to go!

Thank you so much once again for all the wonderful reviews and comments. Special thanks go to schefflera, whose review a couple of days ago really made my day!

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Chapter Six: Play-Fighting

With the grocery shopping brought and paid for, Rachel and Eddie returned to the house later that afternoon; she opened up the boot before darting towards the front door. After throwing the door open, she returned to the car to help. "I'll do this Rachel," he said whilst retrieving grocery bags from the boot.

"Eddie, I'm pregnant, not an invalid," she snapped, taking the bags from him before stalking back towards the house.

He sighed, rolling his eyes in exasperation as he retrieved the final two bags before shutting the boot with a satisfying clunk. Rachel appeared on the front step, locking the car before heading back inside. There was silence as Eddie followed her into the kitchen, depositing the final two bags on the countertop where Rachel had put hers. Together, they unloaded the shopping, stacking all the items into their relevant cupboards. Still, the silence remained and Rachel hated it; she'd been the one to snap, so decided she'd also be the one to swallow her pride and break the silence. "Eddie, I'm sorry," she muttered.

Had Eddie been stood further away, he might not have heard her. However, he did, but strung it out a while longer, "I didn't quite catch that," he responded, "what did you say?"

A pout formed upon Rachel's lips and another short period of silence followed, "I'm sorry," she said, louder than before. Once she'd deposited a jar of pickled onions, Rachel turned to face Eddie, "I didn't mean to snap at you," she apologised.

"We're a partnership Rachel, you don't have to do everything yourself anymore."

"I know, I'm just not used to having someone around I can rely on, but I'm trying, forgive me?"

Eddie grinned, no longer able to keep up the charade as he approached her. Drawing Rachel into his embrace, he rested his chin on top of her head before speaking once again, "I heard your apology the first time."

At Eddie's confession, a gasp left Rachel's lips. For his trouble, he received a playful slap across the arm, "why did you make me say it again then?"

"Because I don't think I've ever heard you apologise so fast."

Rachel suppressed a grin by burying her head into Eddie's shirt, "I don't want you thinking I'll be a nightmare to live with."

Eddie smiled, pressing a kiss into Rachel's hair, "as if I'd ever think that."

"I wouldn't blame you if you did."

Eddie drew Rachel's head away, forcing her to look him dead in the eye, "I don't, I could never," he assured her.

A smile tugged at the corners of Rachel's mouth and she leant forwards, following up her movement with a kiss. "Thank you," she murmured, "now, I'm not much of a domestic goddess, but how about I cook tonight?"

"Sounds perfect," Eddie replied, tightening his hold upon her.

"What do you fancy?"

"You."

Eddie's remark resulted in another playful slap as Rachel rolled her eyes, "I cook a mean spag bol, we could always have that?"

"Fine by me, is Phil joining us too?"

Rachel shrugged, "he'll be back at some point, I'm just glad he's finally making friends."

Eddie nodded in agreement, "plus, it means we get time to ourselves too."

"That's also true, are you not yet sick of the sight of me though?"

Eddie's subconscious wanted to yell at her for making such a suggestion. However, he resisted the urge, realising that Rachel's previous bad experiences may have played a part in her asking that question, "why would you even suggest that?"

Again, Rachel shrugged against him, "everyone else seems to."

"I'm not everyone else," Eddie pointed out, "if I thought I'd ever get sick of the sight of you, I'd never have agreed to move in."

In that statement, Eddie made a valid point, Rachel conceded, "if you ever do though…"

"Rachel… Shhhh! It's not happening."

She fell silent, paying heed to Eddie's request, "I guess I'd better get started on this spag bol," she eventually muttered as she glanced towards the kitchen clock.

Eddie seemed reluctant to let Rachel go and under different circumstances, she'd happily stay where she was. Now however, she needed to cook their dinner, "what if I don't want to let you go?"

"Do you really want to starve?"

At that, Eddie reeled backwards, as if Rachel had administered an electric shock, "course not."

"Good, now shoo!" Rachel demanded as she pushed him towards the kitchen door.

"Why have I got to go?"

"Because Eddie, we both know you cannot keep your hands to yourself, especially when I'm around. Besides, if you stick around while I cook, we'll never get round to eating and as we've already established, you don't want to starve…"

"OK, OK, fine," Eddie said as he trudged into the hallway, "I know when I'm not wanted."

At that moment, Rachel sympathised with him. She leant against the doorframe, briefly stared at her other half before planting a single, solitary kiss to his lips. "If only you knew how wrong you are," she muttered against him.

Rachel pulled back, giving Eddie no time to answer before shutting the kitchen door in his face. He frowned at the solid door before sauntering off to the living room to await the call for dinner.

With Rachel's spaghetti bolognaise cooked and dished up, Eddie was at last permitted re-entry to the kitchen. Phillip still hadn't been in contact but despite this, she'd kept some back in case he wanted something to eat upon his return. "Rach," Eddie spoke up after his first mouthful, "I've been thinking."

"Oh, always a dangerous precedent," Rachel responded in jest, pausing before continuing, "what about?

"I wanted to ask if you'd like to come away with me during the summer holidays,"

Eddie's request rendered Rachel speechless for a long moment, "just us?" she questioned, sliding her hand across the breakfast bar to clasp at one of his.

He nodded, "just us," he confirmed, "I can't imagine Phillip would enjoy being dragged along."

A laugh emanated from Rachel's lips and, as cliched as it sounded, it was music to Eddie's ears; it showed him she wasn't about to shoot his suggestion down in flames. "What a wonderful idea, I would love to," Rachel responded.

Eddie threw a grin in her direction, leaning over briefly to kiss her, "where shall we go?" he questioned.

At this, Rachel shrugged, "surprise me."

Those two words caused an internal panic to rise within Eddie; this would be their first holiday together, so it was important that he made the right choice regarding their destination. He understood how much trust Rachel was putting in him, not just in their relationship, but in this small part of it too, letting her down wasn't an option.

For a few minutes afterwards, the couple bandied about some destination ideas. Or rather, Rachel made suggestions and Eddie remained silent as he gauged her reaction to each one. He watched as her eyes lit up over one particular destination. A deep sense of longing coloured her tone as Rachel told of how long she'd dreamt of holidaying at this place. However, because of the romantic setting, she'd avoided doing so. Until now, Eddie decided. He'd take her and give her the holiday that she deserved.

After that, the conversation petered out as Rachel glanced in Eddie's direction. A faint blush creeped across her cheeks as it dawned upon her that his gaze remained upon her. Rachel tried to laugh it off, "Eddie, you're staring again."

At the sound of Rachel's voice, Eddie snapped out of it, "sorry," he muttered in apology, "I just love listening to your voice."

His excuse seemed reasonable, and he hoped Rachel brought it. Her cheeks flushed further in response to his words and in that moment, she realised she'd never loved another person as much as she did him. What they had found in the other was so special and she'd fight to the bitter end to keep it. Rachel leaned across the breakfast bar, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Eddie's mouth before pulling away, wiping away a smidge of sauce as she did so.

From there, silence fell once again as they ate, hungrily devouring Rachel's spaghetti bolognaise. Upon finishing the delicious dish, Eddie rose from his stool to clear away the plates, stacking them beside the sink ready to wash up. Rachel tried stepping in, but Eddie rebuffed her attempt to do so. "No," he insisted, "you made the meal, I'm taking care of all this."

Rachel rolled her eyes as he gestured towards the washing up, but didn't argue as he turned on the taps and squeezed washing up liquid into the bowl. Instead, she approached as Eddie switched off the taps and got to work. Rachel caught him unawares as she reached around him, splashing him with soapy water. Eddie gasped in mock indignation, "oh, so that's your game, is it Rach?" he questioned as she smirked behind him. Upon wheeling around to face her, Eddie glanced towards her, watching as she chewed upon her bottom lip to prevent a laugh escaping. "Two can play at that game," he added, flicking more soapy water in her direction.

In response to Eddie's retaliation, Rachel dipped her hands back into the water before flicking even more soapy water at him. In their desperation to outdo the other, washing up had ceased to be an issue. Within seconds, a fully blown water fight ensued between the partners as both refused to back down. Both parties soon became soaked to the skin and upon realising this, Eddie called a halt to proceedings. He wrapped his arms around Rachel's waist and backed her into the breakfast bar behind them. The kitchen, at the height of the fight, had been alive with shouts of laughter but all giggling ceased as they stared into each other's eyes. An internal debate raged in Eddie's head, realising there was a fine line between what he wanted to do at that moment and what Rachel would appreciate.

In a split second, Rachel's lips upon his silenced the voice of doubt. Her fingers threaded through his hair, then tightened as the kiss evolved into a passionate frenzy. The ferocity took Rachel's breath away as she hitched Eddie's shirt upwards, intending to remove it. His hands followed a similar trajectory over Rachel's body but before the removal of either garment, a key in the door brought them crashing back to reality. They sprung apart, adjusting their t-shirts as the front door closed. "Rachel! You in?" Phillip called.

"Kitchen Phil," Rachel called back.

He pushed open the door, his gaze settling first upon Eddie and his ruffled hair and then Rachel's flushed complexion. "Not interrupting anything, am I?"

If it was possible, Rachel's face turned redder at her nephew's words, "not really, Eddie was just washing up."

Phillip laughed then rolled his eyes, "yeah, looks like it," he replied, "I'll leave you to it."

"No Phillip, it's fine, you stay. We'll leave you to it, there's some spaghetti bolognaise in the oven for you, if you fancy it."

Phillip smiled in appreciation at his aunt, thrilled that she had saved him some food. That sense of appreciation made him forget about the scene he'd walked in on. "Thanks Rach,"

Rachel smiled in response to her nephew's words, "we'll come and clean up in a bit," she assured him.

Phillip nodded as Rachel, then Eddie retreated from the kitchen, leaving him to eat his dinner in peace.

Please keep dropping in to review and leave your comments, you guys don't have a clue how much they motivate me!

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