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Twelve days had passed since Melissa's death, and they had finally got to the day which Rachel was both dreading and longing for with equal measures. Melissa's funeral was not something that Rachel had ever considered, she never envisaged that she would be burying her younger sister. But here she was, perched at her kitchen table at 3 am, with a lingering inability to sleep. Rachel supposed that today would bring her a sense of closure, which was why, in a way, she almost yearned for it. As well as the topic of the day ahead, another thought had been imposing on Rachel's mind. Ever since Graeme's attack on her mother, she had been on edge, as if her husband would turn up at any given moment. On several occasions, Rachel had attempted to prompt Susan to go to the police and reveal all. For her though, it wasn't a possibility; Rachel didn't know what Graeme had said to her, but it was certainly significant if it had given rise to such a reaction.

As Rachel considered attempting sleep once more, her ears were drawn to light footsteps on her staircase. Immediately, Rachel wondered who it was, and worried that Philip was having similar problems to herself. Aside from this though, she allowed herself to explore the possibility that Eddie had simply woken upon hearing movement in the house, or more plausibly, Isabelle had required a bottle. As much as Rachel strived to cope with everything on her own, she couldn't deny how much she had confided in Eddie since becoming reunited, and found herself suffocated with a need for him to calm her erratic musings.

Perhaps this was why it didn't come as a surprise when the figure of the man himself became visible in her doorway.

"Couldn't sleep?"

He spoke in a hushed tone, evidently considering other occupants of the household. Rachel shook her head lightly in response, which Eddie took as a signal to take a seat next to her.

"Is Isabelle alright?"

As Rachel posed this question, her diversion of the topic didn't go amiss in Eddie's brain.

"Sound asleep in her moses basket. I think we will know about it if she does wake up though."

This had the desired effect, and a small smile played across Rachel's lips. For her, it had been a privilege to spend so much time with Isabelle over the past week, it was unbelievable how much she had grown in such a short space of time.

"What's on your mind?" queried Eddie, scrutinising Rachel's every expression. He understood that the main factor for her lack of sleep would be the obvious; Melissa's upcoming funeral. With Rachel though, her thoughts were usually a lot more complex than the apparent, and Eddie intended to divulge into every aspect of that.

"Because my relationship with Melissa was often… distant, I haven't been able to stop my mind from sort of clouding reality. Since the day she died, I've allowed myself to imagine her living in Scotland or Cornwall, somewhere far away, but very much alive."

Upon seeing a lone tear travel down Rachel's face, Eddie outstretched a hand to hers, hoping to offer some comfort before she continued. To his slight surprise, Rachel interlocked their fingers and brought their hands to rest comfortably on her lap. Eddie was glad that he had been able to offer the slight consolation that she very much required.

"And although today will no doubt give me a sense of closure, nothing can change the fact that it will force me to face the reality of this situation."

"Listen, Rachel, I know you said that I should stay and take care of Isabelle, but my dad is off work today. He will be happy to spend some time with her. Let me be there Rachel, to support you."

Rachel hesitated for a moment, and in that space of time, Eddie convinced himself that she would put others needs first once more. He was prepared for that, nothing could stop him from Rachel being his first priority. That had never changed, even with the time they spent apart; she was always at the forefront of his mind.

"Only if you're sure Eddie, I wouldn't want to - ''

"Rachel, I'm more than sure," he interjected, giving her hand a squeeze in hope of emphasising his words.

A smile was exchanged between the pair, but Eddie could always see through Rachel's mirage. He noted the way her lips twisted slightly, and the manner in which she now held herself. Something else was bothering her.

"Was there anything else?" he pondered lightly, almost subconsciously running his thumb across her knuckles.

Rachel noticed the gesture, and looked down slightly before responding. It seemed that she was realigning her thoughts with that fact that they were in fact holding hands. The vulnerability and anxiousness swimming in her eyes as their gazes became level made it hard for Eddie to resist enveloping Rachel in his arms entirely, and kissing her worries away. All in all though, completely rekindling their relationship was something which Eddie would wait a lifetime for. He wasn't about to rush things with Rachel and risk pushing her away. Things would be taken at her pace.

"It's just the fact my mother hasn't gone to the police about Graeme. You know, it unnerves me Eddie… why? What on earth did he say to her? And she's clearly expecting him to turn up with any given moment. Her whole demeanour proves that."

Eddie noted Rachel's use of 'Graeme' rather than 'dad' or 'father.' It was something which he could comprehend completely. Graeme was as far from a father figure as humanly possible, he didn't deserve the connotations that came with 'dad.' Certainly not coming from someone as special and phenomenal as Rachel.

"I take it you've tried talking to her?"

Rachel nodded, "multiple times. She just freezes, even at the mention of his name."

"That's understandable. You're right though, she's obviously not telling us the full story. I reckon he's threatened her verbally as well as physically. But what he said, I don't know Rach."

"I think I'm going to wait until today is over with, and broach the subject with her once more."

Eddie smiled lightly, glad that he had been able to calm Rachel's nerves and set her confidence back on track.

"I'm here for you Rachel, I'm not going anywhere."

"Well that's good because I figure I'm quite content with your company."

Just as Eddie was about to respond, Isabelle's cries were heard, signalling that she was in need of a bottle.

"What did I say? Told you we'd know about it," Eddie smirked as he stood.

"You go see to her Eddie, I'll bring the bottle up."

Over the past week or so, Eddie had been more than grateful for Rachel's help. She'd understood that it would be rather difficult for Eddie to juggle all of Isabelle's feeds alone, so had assisted considerably so that he wouldn't be left completely sleepless. They had worked as a team, something which had always come as second nature to the both of them.

Once Rachel had prepared the bottle, and made her way upstairs, Isabelle had calmed slightly and her cries were far less frequent. Eddie was sitting up in Rachel's spare bed, rocking Isabelle back and forth in his arms. This was something that consistently warmed Rachel's heart, despite it being a prominent image since last Saturday.

As she turned to leave, Eddie's hush voice had Rachel stopping in her tracks.

"Stay Rachel."

For Eddie, those two words alone were a huge risk, never mind everything that seemed to attach to them. They almost undermined his earlier considerations. Aside from this though, he wanted to comfort Rachel, and he hoped that she would allow herself to get some sleep when in his presence. Perhaps she wouldn't be feeling as apprehensive or concerned for everything that the day ahead brought.

He witnessed hesitation travel through her features, but felt rather reassured when that particular tone disappeared almost instantly.

Instead, she emanated a smile before retracing her steps and sitting adjacent to Eddie. Silence invaded the room as he continued to feed Isabelle her bottle, the pair were watching the baby girl with equal content and adoration. Only when she was reacquainted with her moses basket did the adults allow their attention to re focus on one another.

As their eyes locked, it seemed that their thoughts were almost identical. This particular instance had transported them both back to a time when sharing a bed was a regular occurrence. In recent months, neither Eddie nor Rachel considered that this would ever be a possibility once more. As cliche as it sounded, it truly was a 'pinch me' moment.

"Good night Eddie," Rachel said, breaking the silence.

Prior to his reciprocation, Eddie brushed a strand of hair back from Rachel's face; allowing his hand to tentatively brush her cheek and caress her neck.

"Night Rachel."

His touch was beautiful, immaculate. It was something that Rachel would happily endure forever.

This particular action had prompted the pair to shift closer slightly, meaning that it didn't strike Rachel as a difficulty to place her head on Eddie's chest and allow her body to become enveloped by his arms.

One arm of Eddie's anchored her waist, keeping her close and secure in his embrace. The other brushed her hair lightly, his fingertips often skimming her shoulder. Accident or not, Rachel didn't allow her mind to chew on the matter. For now, she was content with the feelings swimming around in her stomach as she drifted off in a matter of minutes.

Seemingly, it was far simpler to fall asleep wrapped in the hold of the one you love.