Firstly, I want to thank you all for the reviews and support over this story. When I wrote this story, I knew that I had left it way to late to be joining in with a show that still has a special place in my heart, but it wrote itself and I am glad that more people are coming back to it as I have. A special thank you goes to Mrs Carmicheal. Every damn chapter you reviewed and it made me almost want to post the next one to get your reaction to it.

And here we are, you and me, on the last page... wait... wrong fandom... But it still fits anyway.

Obviously there will be more from this story in the form of IaWW, TIDU and you will be getting more Waterloo Road fanfiction from me as I finished a short fic (Are You Happy?) yesterday and started another longer fic (Push My Luck (it is a working title, may change)).

Please enjoy this chapter as much as you can...

Chapter Thirty

"Why can't we stay?" Sophie asked.

"Because I said so," Eddie said, knowing that it was an extremely childish thing for him to say but not really knowing what else to actually say.

"But we want to see her reaction."

"Sophie we have talked about this."

"You did tell Mum that she would meet us three here," Tommy said.

"Enough from you smart aleck. I am regretting getting you out of the last half an hour of your lessons right now. Go on, the pair of you. Not that way. She will be coming from that direction. I will see you at the pub."

Eddie let out a sigh of relief as they left. He had timed Rachel earlier and knew that the time it took her to get from her classroom to the staffroom was about five minutes. As the bell sounded for the day and the rush of the students eager to leave, he knew that he had a good amount of time before she would arrive.

He had told the staff earlier that the staffroom was a no go area after three o'clock and that they were to make their way down to the pub straight after school. They all gave him weird looks but he was now certain that there was another bet on what he was planning on doing. He tapped his pocket, making sure that he picked it up. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

Thinking over the words that he wanted to say, the door opened and he knew that it was taking her a little while to adjust to the candlelit staffroom.

"Eddie, what is all this?" Rachel asked as she walked towards him.

"This morning I spoke about putting right our wrong decisions. It has been something that we have done since you said those words. Now as much as we both would love to forget about it, I asked Melissa to marry me in a staffroom in Rochdale, surrounded by our colleagues, with you standing there, probably not looking too impressed by the crazy decision I had made. I don't even think I even asked her properly.

"So, in a staffroom in Greenock, with no one else about, with you standing there, in front of me this time, I want to do this properly." He got the small box out of his pocket. "Rachel Mason, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

The way that the box opened was with practised confidence. Not because this was the third time that he had proposed to someone but because he wanted to get it right for her. The ring was one that had been chosen after many trips to different jewellers in Glasgow. All four of them had decided that this one was perfect for Rachel, simple but elegant.

He didn't worry when she didn't give an answer straight away. He knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't impulsively say her answer as some people would.

"Oh Eddie, of course, I will."

The words sounded so much better coming from her lips than he had ever imagined and the way that she giggled as he slid the ring on her finger was a memory that he would keep with him forever. The kiss afterwards was all that he wanted. It told him everything. This was the wrong that they had to right.

The sound of the champagne corks popping brought him back down to earth. Even though he knew that it was something that was going to happen, he still couldn't believe that she had said yes to him. Rachel Mason had agreed to marry him.

He still remembered the way that she awkwardly came up to him to congratulate him on his proposal to Melissa. If only things had been different.

The glasses were soon handed out and it wasn't long before Sophie, Tommy and Philip joined them as well. Philip was handed a glass of champagne and Georgina looked at them both as if to ask permission for Sophie and Tommy.

"Just a small one." Rachel said.

It was the only time that she had parted his side since they had arrived at the pub and Eddie was glad that it was Tommy that took his place as Sophie took hers. The weird little family that they had seemed to work in the best of ways.

"To the new Mr and Mrs of Waterloo Road," Georgina said, holding up her glass.

Eddie only had to glance at Rachel to know that she too heard Steph's voice instead. It was something that they wouldn't stop. Thinking back to a time when they had no chance. It made the reality more real for them.

"See Dad, I told you it would suit her," Sophie said as the rest of the staff asked Rachel to show off the ring.

"I never said it wouldn't."

"Do you have a date in mind?" Thea asked.

"I mean…" Rachel started as she looked up at Eddie. "I don't know what we might plan to do. Might have to ask Sophie what her plans are."

"Rachel, I have it planned to a t. Don't you worry."

"I was thinking that we could always go aboard," Eddie said.

"Or have a guest list this time," Philip said. "What? With Sophie and Tommy, it will be one more person than your wedding to Adam."

Rachel just rolled her eyes and arrived back at Eddie's side as Sophie and Tommy left them to sit down and talk between themselves. She turned back to Eddie with the biggest smile on her face.

"I may have left Waterloo Road for the wrong reason and for the wrong man but the right man has brought me back for all the right reasons." She whispered to him.

He couldn't feel happier about being the right man.