Hi everyone, thank you so much for the reviews, i hope you are all liking this story.

Sorry for the delay in updating this, Christmas has taken its toll!

Hope you all enjoy & please let me know what you guys think x

The urge to get up and run was overpowering Rachel. Perhaps this was held back by the echoing of Eddie's earlier words, his pleading.

Just stop running.

As well as his presence, a burning sensation settled uncomfortably in Rachel's mind. It was kicking and screaming at her to tell them.

Tell your parents their beloved daughter has died.

Despite her longing to dig deeper, Rachel acknowledged that she needed to break the news of Melissa's death right this moment, before anything else was determined. Recriminations aside, Rachel inhaled sharply to prepare for her upcoming revelation.

Seemingly, Eddie had sensed this - judging by the newfound close proximity between himself and Rachel. Internally, Rachel allowed herself to smile at this. For once, she was glad that her heart had won, glad her mind had been discarded. However his recent actions only confirmed her initial thoughts: this silence had to be broken, her parents had to be informed first and foremost.

"Look, there's something you need to know."

Her mother's brows furrowed, her position shifted dramatically. Graeme however, simply slumped down next to Susan; showing no signs of support for his wife. Rachel found herself wondering how the couple had stayed together, considering everything she had witnessed in her teenage years.

"Melissa she…"

Her father's head snapped to the right, clearly connoting something along the lines of 'we haven't got all day.' Rachel wanted to launch herself at him, slap him, anything. Make the man pay for his actions now and everything she had endured in the past. How could he be so inconsiderate?

"She died. Earlier today."

For once Graeme's features contorted into some sort of emotion: shock perhaps? Her mother though, was well and truly broken. Sorrow flooded over Rachel's body instantly. Granted, Susan hadn't even attempted to stop her father's abuse in the past. But that didn't stop Rachel from loving her, caring for her.

Momentarily to Rachel's grief, Eddie's placed a firm grip around her shoulders. His apparent ability to understand Rachel's every emotion astounded her to this day.

"H-how?"

Susan managed a muffled word that was almost drowned out by her consistent cries.

"As you might know, she was pregnant. There were… complications. The baby, she's fine."

"We didn't know," Susan responded to Rachel's slight dig at her earlier declaration, "she never told us. We haven't seen her for several months."

"So then Amanda, where've you been all these years?"

Spiteful as ever, Graeme was apparently blind to the current situation. No tragedy could get in the way if he felt the need to question Rachel's actions.

But it wasn't Rachel's actions to him. It was Amanda's. Quickly realising this had to change, Rachel braces herself once more.

"I changed my name, it's Rachel now."

She spoke with caution, avoiding her father's gaze - instead, locking eyes with the only man she could ever truly trust. Eddie. His deep brown eyes had the desired effect, they gave Rachel the courage to face any upcoming questions that Graeme would undoubtedly throw at her.

"Rachel?"

Graeme almost spat, ignoring Susan's attempts to calm him.

"How dare you disrespect your mother and I like that? Changing your name? You're pathetic Amanda."

His words alone caused Rachel to flinch, which was only emphasised by her father's newfound closeness. It seemed that she wasn't the only one uncomfortable with these new dynamics; Eddie was quick to leap out of his seat, to come to Rachel's defence once more.

"I think that's enough Graeme, don't you?"

"And who would you be, big man?"

"Eddie Lawson, a friend of Rachel's."

Graeme simply scoffed which alone made Rachel shudder. That single mocking brought back an abundance of unwanted memories for her. The time her father decided to throw her down the stairs, or when he attempted to drown her in the bath. Each time, that same scoff was present. Each time, Rachel felt ridiculed by his presence. Except now, it was different. Eddie was here. Perhaps that was why she felt stronger, more able to stand up to Graeme.

"I think I ought to be asking you a few questions, don't you Graeme."

Rachel's voice was calm and collected given the circumstances. She found it strange the way her eyes took pleasure in watching her father grimace, when 'Graeme' rolled off her tongue and not 'father.' Rachel hoped he recognised that he'd lost the right to be called that a very long time ago.

"Just sit down Graeme."

A voice from the sofa came to Rachel's attention. Her mother's. Could it be that she was willing to stand up for herself and her family after all these years of hiding?

"Aman… Rachel, is right. We have a lot of explaining to do."

Rachel's eyes snapped up in disbelief at her mother's correction. That simple act of speech was something she would always remember - acceptance, it was something she had always longed for. Maybe her mother would give her that, in time. Maybe Rachel could forgive Susan, in time.

"Do you know about Philip?"

For Rachel, it seemed a reasonable start. She had to know if Phil had been part of this deceit, if Melissa had put him through the pain of that all this time.

"Melissa's son."

Susan began, which in turn caused Rachel's stomach to lurch.

Had they watched him grow up? Philip's first steps, his first words, his first day at school.

Apparently not.

"She told us about him, yes. But we've never met him. I think… I think she thought it would cause you to find out."

Several emotions washed over Rachel's body at her mother's confession: a deep sense of loyalty and compassion for Philip, with an equal sense of disgust at her sister's actions and her thought processes.

From this moment on, Rachel removed herself from the situation and unconsciously zoned out completely. Somehow a regular occurrence, it was Eddie to bring her out of this state.

"Rachel."

She glanced up slightly, momentarily locking eyes with his.

"Let's go."

Those words were something she would be forever grateful for. That, and his steadfast present. How glad Rachel was that he had persuaded her - for once she acknowledged that this was something she couldn't have done alone.

A mere goodbye said to her parents, Eddie sweeped Rachel away from the place she could describe as hell.

"Come on you, get in the car," Eddie spoke softly, attaching a caring smile to his words.

Initially, Rachel fought the urge to cry, to shed a single tear. She could not reveal her true emotions to anyone, not now, not here. It was strange, because one look from Eddie and a switch was flicked. Something within her was flipped back to how they used to be, when her and Eddie were happy and content with one another, when she confided her whole life in him. That was when she allowed herself to succumb to the salty residue.

Despite having her face buried within her hands, Rachel instantly anticipated the embrace Eddie gave. His touch was almost an instant cure to her wounds, she was healing - slowly, but with Eddie it could be done. Of course, past occurrences still remained: Melissa, his daughter, her niece, their uncertainty; it was all still very present. But for now, this was forgotten - the pair had silently agreed to focus on the here and now. In this moment, she needed him and he needed her; simple as that.