Hi everyone. As always, a huge thank you faeftvanity, Mrs Carmichael, Lynny and RachelMasonFan39 for the continued support and lovely reviews. I appreciate you and all other people who continue to read this story so much. It really inspires me to keep going!

This chapter is based around the time of Melissa's due date... apologies if not everything is medically accurate - I had to look a few things up :)

Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter and are enjoying this fic so far. Please let me know what you guys think x

A month and a half later:

Eddie planned to keep his eyes solely fixated on the television in front of him. That way, everything seemed to blur out, he could just about discard the nightmare that had become his life over the past 3 months. He could at least pretend to be watching it. Pretend to feel normal.

Ever since her due date had been and gone, Eddie had been anticipating the all important call from Melissa. Despite Rachel not being his primary thought, amazingly, his mind still found a way to worm back to her. After all, this pregnancy was the very reason they had been so cruelly torn apart. Even this mere thought caused his stomach to churn; Eddie didn't want his daughter to feel responsible, to hold a weight that wasn't compatible with her shoulders.

This was his fault. Melissa's fault. No one else's.

That would be known to his child, whether her mother liked it or not. Eddie's little girl was to know exactly why she would never meet her aunt. Her aunt that would have had such a positive impact on her life.

A name had not yet been decided. Although, whatever it turned out to be, Eddie knew that his daughter would have a hole in her life and her heart. Just like her father.

Somehow, the buzz of Eddie's phone was felt simultaneously to his thoughts. A coincidence? Before he even began to search for it, he knew who it was. Melissa. She had gone into labor. It was now or never: time for Eddie to welcome what has been stopping him from tipping over the edge into the world.

….

The traffic could be described as nothing other than atrocious. An intense tsunami of cars had prevented a speedy journey to the hospital for Eddie. It meant that when he eventually arrived, he was greeted by Philip and no Melissa. As soon as Eddie hovered his gaze in Phil's direction, the accompaniment of a nurse was brought to light. In that moment, the unwanted thoughts overwhelmed Eddie: it was impossible for him to escape them. He wasn't sure what bothered him more - the catastrophic look etched across Phil's face or the presence of a rather worried lady. Why was the nurse there? It unsettled him. All he could focus on was the inevitability of demoralising news. This couldn't be happening, he couldn't stomach the loss of another child. Not today, not ever.

The next few steps that Eddie took could be described as nothing other than painful. His whole body trembled with uncertainty and worry. This couldn't be happening.

It was then that an unfamiliar female voice rang in Eddie's ears.

"You must be Eddie, I'm Harriet Moore, a nurse here. Would you like to take a seat?"

Sympathy coloured the nurse's tone. Her utterances alone brought Eddie to the conclusion that if something had happened to his daughter, his life may as well be over.

Not knowing what else to do, Eddie slumped down in a seat adjacent to Philip. His whole body had turned to jelly; the apparent stability of the chair was the only object preventing him from falling apart.

He was aware that the woman was now talking to him. But the words, they felt all jumbled up. Like many things in his life. It didn't make sense.

"Shortly after Melissa's waters broke, it came to our attention that she has suffered a prolapsed umbilical cord. It meant that if we had gone ahead with a natural birth, the cord could have become trapped against the baby's body during delivery. We decided that the best possible option was an emergency c - section."

Harriet paused here. By the look on Eddie's face, his mind wasn't capable of absorbing this abundance of information altogether.

For the first time since arriving, Eddie averted his gaze from the floor so that it was level with the nurse's. Somewhere deep within him, he found the courage to speak. To ask the question that had been playing with his mind for several moments now.

"Is… is the baby okay?"

Eddie noted Philip's silence, and glanced across to see a lone tear drop down the boy's cheek.

His daughter didn't make it. Eddie was almost sure of it.

Before he could repeat the question, the nurse responded.

"The baby is fine."

Clear emphasis on baby. Something had happened to Melissa.

Philip's state deteriorated subsequent to the nurses words. Slight tears automatically turned to dramatic sobs. Eddie resisted the urge to engulf the boy in an embrace - he had to know the facts for himself first.

"Melissa… she didn't make it. I'm very sorry Mr Lawson."

Eddie then came to the realisation that Philip's sobs had become uncontrollable. The sound felt like the equivalent to knives in his ears. He couldn't bare to see the boy in so much pain, Eddie had never seen him break down like this before. Which was why, slowly but surely, he succumbed to his longing to comfort Philip, and pulled the broken boy into a tight embrace.

It was difficult for Eddie to comprehend his own feelings. He hadn't loved Melissa, nor had he particularly liked her after the destruction she caused him and Rachel. At the end of the day though, this woman was his child's mum, Philip's mum, Rachel's sister; all of whom Eddie cared about unconditionally. So their loss would break him to an equal extent.

Unexpectedly, a rather uneasy feeling washed over him: guilt. Guilt at his relief. He was relieved because, previously, he had thought that his daughter was dead. Eddie had thought he would never even get the opportunity to meet his little girl. It was obvious it would've totally broken him, so he began to understand (but not condone) these feelings.

"H- how?" were Eddie's next choice of words to pose to the nurse, "I mean… I didn't think there was such a risk with c - sections."

Harriet hastily smiled, it was only then that Eddie acknowledged how difficult this must be for her also.

"You're right, they are usually a straightforward process. But Melissa, she developed a postpartum hemorrhage due to a major loss of blood. The doctors did everything they could."

Unsure of how to respond, Eddie turned to Phil, prepared to offer his condolences. However, before the words could even brush his lips, Harriet spoke again.

"Are there any family members of Melissa's that you need to contact?"

Rachel. He hadn't even thought about it.

Eddie couldn't breath - this revelation had frozen him to the core. He was going to have to contact Rachel and inform her that Melissa was dead. Her own sister. It would well and truly tear her apart. How could he break her heart again?

When several seconds had passed, Philip arose his head from Eddie's jacket. He recognised that Eddie wasn't going to respond, so spoke for him.

"My auntie Rachel. We'll have to contact her. She'll know who else to call from there."

Hearing her name out loud sent shivers escalating up his spine. Philip's comments reinforced this scenario and brought it to life: Eddie would have to contact Rachel Mason once more.