Thank you for the reviews.

I don't quite know if I am quite in the right mood after that first episode. You can PM me on here or DM me on Twitter (same username as on here) if you want to talk about the episode. Because I have thoughts.

On with this...

Chapter Nineteen
Saturday 19th December

Eddie knew that Rachel was a powerhouse. And that once she had her mind set on something, that was it until it was complete.

And he knew that both of them had let things go by the wayside.

The house was a lot messier than it should have been and they still had quite a few presents to still go out and get.

And with Rachel's newfound energy, that was what they had planned.

He managed to convince her to stay a little while longer in bed. Not as long as he would have liked, but she promised him they would have the laziest Sunday morning they'd had in a while. Although, lazy Sunday mornings in bed meant one thing to Eddie and another to Rachel. He had to laugh at the fact that she always had to be doing something.

Like when they went away in the summer. After an hour or so of sitting in the sun, with Rachel reading, she wanted to do something else or go and explore somewhere. Not that Eddie minded half the time. But there were points of the trip where he would have just liked to have sat there, doing nothing, to allow his body and mind to recuperate after the year they'd had.

It was safe to say that Eddie had very quickly decided that it would be easier for him to change his ways rather than to get Rachel to change hers. And, sooner rather than later, those lazy Sunday mornings were going to be a thing of the past again. Although, he could hope that their daughter was going to be a good sleeper.

So to the shops they went, to get that part over and done with as soon as possible as neither of them liked shopping. They bounced ideas off each other as they tried to buy for the younger members of Eddie's family. The goal was to get them something that they would like without annoying the parents so much that they would find, in a couple of years' time, the same happening to them.

And when Rachel stopped for a moment, picking up the rabbit to feel how soft it was, with her biting her lip and a tear coming to her eye, Eddie knew who it was meant for. Meaning that he walked over to her and placed a kiss in her hair, telling her that she was going to love it.

And Eddie knew that they hadn't got much for their daughter yet. They had been waiting, maybe even putting it off slightly, still worried that something might go wrong. It would be something that they would focus more on in the new year. And he knew that he would be more conservative with what they would buy. After all, he was sure that he and Alison didn't use half of what they had bought for Michael and Stephen. And then others bought more for them.

Although, he knew that he would give Rachel anything that she wanted for their daughter. After all, this was the child that she had wanted for a while. And Eddie wanted her to enjoy motherhood.

He convinced her to sit down with a coffee when they got home, instead of rushing into the next task. Which seemed to be cleaning the house. Which, Eddie had to admit, he did feel better for. Not that he was sure why he felt better. He just did.

And Eddie had definitely caught the tone of the day. This was a 'let's get on and get as much as we can done' type of day. So he wasn't surprised to walk into the kitchen to find Rachel looking through the cupboards, making a list of everything that they needed to get. Although, it did take him a while to notice that she was making two lists. Which he asked her about.

"One is stuff that we need now. One is the big shop we are going to do in the week." Rachel said in a tone which screamed that what she was doing was obvious.

"Is there stuff that we need now?"

"Yes. We are low on milk and bread."

"Well, I'll go and get them."

"I'll get them," Rachel said quickly. "There is something that I want to get you but I couldn't get it this morning with you there."

"You could have told me to bugger off if you needed me to."

She laughed. "I know I could have but I didn't want you trying to get a peek. I know what you are like now, Lawson."

Eddie couldn't remember the last time she had called him by just his surname. Equally, he couldn't remember the last time he had called her by hers. It did just signify that things were going back to normal. That things were working themselves out. That the rift that had opened up between them had closed. And he only hoped that it was never going to ever be that bad between them ever again.

"Really, Mason?" He said.

"Yeah. And I know you are just as bad as me with surprises. So, I would rather you not be with me while I get it."

"Now I am just curious as to what it might be."

She just laughed. And walked over to him. And kissed him.

Not that Eddie thought it was funny.

Because she really had piped his interest.

And now he wanted to know what she was going to get him for Christmas.

It was a bit later than she had planned but, as it turned out, Cathy got home later than she had planned. And Rachel had timed it perfectly as it looked like Cathy hadn't been home long when she entered the house.

"No Uncle Eddie?" Cathy said, sounding a little disappointed.

"Later. We are coming back later. So, technically, right now, I am not here." Rachel said.

"How comes?"

"Well, I need your help. I need everyone's help."

Zoe came into view. "Now this sounds exciting."

"And maybe I need a little reassurance that it is the right thing to do."

"I'll get the kettle on."

Rachel sighed before she gave Cathy a massive hug. She said that they would be bringing around the sonogram later and there would be another hug in store, with Eddie giving his first, even if he didn't actually give it first.

And then Rachel revealed what her plan was and everything that she had managed to plan so far. She was glad that they were going to have Michael on Christmas Eve because it would mean that everyone who needed to be there would be there.

It was reassuring the way that both Zoe and Cathy's faces lit up as she explained the idea and she could see them as they were trying to work out how they could get everything that needed to be sorted done. The only problem was trying to do it and not make Eddie suspicious in any way.

But they seemed very keen to help her out.

And Rachel knew that they would get everyone else on board as well.

Rachel knew roughly how the conversation with Melissa was about to go. And she hoped that Eddie's hearing wasn't that good as she pressed her phone to her ear and waited for her sister to pick up. Because she might have shared her idea with her sister, but Rachel was unsure whether Melissa was going to be a part of it.

"I think this is the most we've spoken for a while," Melissa said as she picked up the phone.

"That sounds like you are complaining about it."

"Well, have we finally got to the stage where we can talk multiple times a week then?"

"Maybe. Anyway, I wanted to ask you about your plans for Christmas. Whether or not you were going to spend it up here with us."

"Eddie's in the room, isn't he?"

Rachel rolled her eyes just because she knew that her sister was slightly avoiding the question. It earnt her a smile from Eddie.

"Just so you know, they haven't forgotten about last year."

"I didn't doubt that. I just don't know if a proper family Christmas is our thing. Or my thing. Not that your very nearly in-laws aren't nice. It is just a little awkward around them. Mainly because of my own doing. I do understand that."

"But Philip would like to see you."

"Not you?"

"Now you are just being ridiculous. Are you coming or not?"

"To see my sister marry the love of her life. Of course, I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Rachel felt the lump in her throat forming and she didn't know how she felt about it. Well, maybe she did. Because she would have never expected the words that Melissa had just said to come out of her mouth. The Melissa she had been a year ago would have probably thrown a tantrum over the whole situation.

But Rachel couldn't really let Eddie know about the wave of emotion that had hit her. Or the reason behind it. Because she wouldn't know how to explain it without saying what was going to happen.

"It will be great to see you."

"Are you trying not to cry? I was quite emotional when I was pregnant with Philip. It might be something that runs in the family."

"It could explain a few things."

"But it is all over with now, isn't it?"

"Pending an investigation by the LEA and governors. But that isn't going to be until the new year now. I do just think most of it is that the relief of it all has finally hit me."

"I finish on the 23rd so I could get the first train I can. If you wouldn't mind put me up and putting up with me for that long. I would need someone to pick me up from the train station. Unless you would prefer I got a taxi."

"Someone can pick you up. It will be fine. We will see you on… Wednesday? Is that the 23rd?"

"I think it is. I'll see you then, Rachel. But please keep me updated if I need to do or bring anything with me."

With another goodbye, Rachel hung up and turned to Eddie. And she couldn't help but feel so lucky to have him there, by her side.

And that was why it was so important for her to do what she had planned.

Because it was important to both of them.

Rachel allowed Eddie to have the first hug to make him think that he had out of them.

And it seemed like they hadn't timed it right as Rob and Sue were there.

Meaning that when Rachel wanted to sneak off to the kitchen to talk to Zoe under the disguise that she was helping her with the drinks, Sue wouldn't let her go. With Sue's reasoning being one that was of pure concern that was a bit over the top. Helping to bring in two mugs of tea wasn't going to strain her that much.

So she gave over the news that Melissa had decided to join them for Christmas, with an ask that if Melissa played nice, would they. Zoe, who Rachel knew a lot better now, said that she would see. It did seem like Melissa had ruffled a few feathers. If Zoe was a maybe, then Rachel knew that Alice would say no. If anything, Melissa probably did have to show them that she had changed. And Rachel did hope that she would.

And Rachel didn't really need to have the chat that she thought she needed with Zoe. Because with a knowing look from both Zoe and Cathy, she knew that things were being sorted and she didn't need to worry.

Things would sort themselves out.

And the countdown was well and truly on.