After what felt like an eternity, it was finally the end of the term at Waterloo Road. Every last day of term Rachel was always in a good mood which meant a happy Miss Mason at school. There was no cooler for the day and some kids were going to be outside doing off-timetable activities for the day.

Rachel and Harmony arrived at the school about 7:25 and both headed their separate ways for the day. Rachel lowered herself into her chair and let out a small giggle. There was nothing funny, she just felt happy that it was the last day of term. Then she remembered how Eddie wasn't coming on and a suddenly stroke of sadness ran through her veins but not enough to kill her happy mood for the day.

"Good morning! How are you?" It was Kim. Kim was head of pastoral care and her and Rachel were good friends since she started at the school.

"I'm good! So relieved its the end of term..." She let out a sigh which turned into another small giggle.

"Right - no arguments but me and you are going out tonight and finishing a man... No arguments!" Although Rachel and Kim were close she had never mentioned her marriage with an army man and because she kept her maiden name and wore no ring on her finger, clearly no assumptions were made.

"Can I express ONE argument?" Rachel tilted her head to plead her case and Kim allowed the one excuse.

"I'm happily married, but thanks for the offer!" Rachel laughed at how ridiculous it sounded, her having to clear up she was married. She pulled the chain of her neck which had a ring hanging from it and placed it on her hand before showing it to Kim, who's jaw was practically on the floor.

"WHAT?! You never told me that!" Kim was shouting which made Rachel laugh even more, Kim picked up her hand and admired the beautiful diamond on Rachel's finger before letting out and 'aw'. "Wait, is Harmony's dad your husband?"

"Yeah, we've been going out for 15 years... God, making me feel old!" She took herself to her chair and submerged into it before revealing more after observing Kim's jaw had returned to its original stance. "He's in the military... We haven't seen him in 10 months, and he can't make it home for Christmas..." Her face dropped slightly after remembering again.

"Rachel, how did I never know this?!" Kim was stood completely in shock when Chris, her deputy, came in.

"What's going on in here?" Chris laughed slightly while observing Kim's expression of shock.

"Rachel's married!" Kim splurted out.

"What?! How come we never knew?!" Chris's jaw was now wide open in shock, like Kim's had been.

"Because I didn't think I had to share my marital status with my colleagues..." She smiled at them both before getting up and grabbing her coat just as the first period bell went. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going on the field for the first lot of year 10 activities. And close your mouths, you'll catch flies!"

Rachel stood on the field, hands in her pockets, a habit adapted from Eddie, while watching the year 10's participate in an array of sporting activities. She'd arranged a sports week and tomorrow the Military Education were coming in to do some workouts and tasks for the year 10s. Rachel hadn't told Harmony yet but was hoping it wouldn't upset her too much. They were incredibly friendly with most of them because of her husbands status so she knew she would know most of the people which would hopefully prove as a comfort.

~

As the tanks drove onto the school grounds Rachel felt her heart sink. She so desperately wanted her husband home and seeing his fellow friends who had seen him more recently than her was bound to upset her. Kim and Chris came out to join her as well as Rob, the head of PE. As the last Van pulled up a friendly face came running out of the van to her.

"Mrs Lawson!" He beamed as he engaged in a big hug with her. She squeezed him back knowing Sam had only seen Eddie last month, when he was last deployed.

"Awh, hello love! It's so great to see you" She smiled at him as they pullled out of the hug. "You'll have to come around for tea when Eddie's home..."

"Of course! So any agenda for today?" Rachel was just about to fill him in when a bunch of other men came over to her.

"Litenuent Lawson." One man joked as he saluted at Rachel. She laughed and then hugged him too. Luckily none of the students were there yet else they would have had been so confused. She could see the look on Kim's face that saw how happy she was for her friend.

As the kids came pouring out of the hall Rachel described the agenda of the day which involved a obstacle race between teacher V student.

As the race came to an end it was Rachel's go. She was proving to be rather successful and was beating her students by a mile. As she jumped over the last few hurdles she could see her fellow friends faces lit up however she had no idea over what. She assumed it was how well she was doing, but that's what being married to a General did to you. As she reached the last hurdle, under the camouflage net she was at the end and got off the ground when she felt two hands swoop around her and she knew immediately who it was. Her heart fell to the bottom of her chest and her legs went drowsy.

"Eddie?" She softly spoke through emerging tears as she turned around to face her husband. She let out a huge beaming smile and wrapped her arms around her husbands neck as she stayed tightly in his embrace. She felt so wrapped up in the moment the only thing that broke it was the sound of her daughters voice.

"Daddy!" Harmony screamed as she ran up the hills of the playground. She slammed her bag down to the floor and as Rachel pulled herself reluctantly of her husband, watched her daughter launch herself into her dads arms. Their family was back together. "Oh dad!" Harmony cried as she tightened her grip onto her father. The students had finally made the link that it was obviously their heads lover as it was her daughters dad. Eddie hadn't said much as even he was quite emotional.

"I love you both. So much." He said as he kissed them both on the cheek.