The fighter in me

DISCLAIMER- I don't own Waterloo Road nor is there any copywriting intended.

A/N Thank you to the amazing PeacelsPerfert for whom this would have never of gotten written let alone put on here without her encouragement and support. So read and enjoy.

Chapter one.

Rachel Fleet walked through the gates of waterloo road with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. It was the start of a term at waterloo road and since her and Adam had decided stay and on top of the amazing honeymoon they had spent in Africa things couldn't have been better for the newly married head teacher.

"You ready for new academic year?" Adam asked the entered the front entrance of the school.

"Yeah, bring it on". Rachel laughed back.

"That's my girl". Adam replied as he wrapped his around his wife's waist.

"So you still want me to try and have lunch with you in the canteen?" Rachel asked as she sat in her high back chair behind her desk and booted up her laptop.

"Yeah I mean we only have the years 7's and 8's today so we shouldn't be that busy". Adam replied.

"Ok then well I have got an assembly so I have to get going". Rachel told him, as the couple left the office together

The couple made it to the hall so that the assembly could get underway.

Rachel looked around and all she could was the year 8's who without the year 9's to fall back were sat there backs straight and to attention and the year 7's with their immaculate uniforms and nervous smiles and the looks of fear having thrown into the shark tank and not knowing where to turn.

"Hello and welcome to waterloo road. My name is Rachel fleet and I'm your head teacher. Now I know you are all extremely nervous, but I promise you there is no need to be". Rachel told the anxious group of teens that sat in front of her.

After telling the kids about the school and how things ran and gave them their timetables and what form they were going to be in. she dismissed them, and headed back to her office.

Once she sat down, the phone on her desk rung.

"Rachel fleet. Waterloo Road". She answered.

"Hay, sis". Came Mel's cheerful reply.

"Mel, what do you want?" Rachel asked, harshly.

"I call to see how you are and you are rude, charming". Melissa replied.

"Charming! You piss off and abandon your son and leave me to pick up the pieces and now your calling out of the blue after not hearing from you from two years and your calling me rude". Rachel yelled down the line, causing Melissa to wince at the volume at the other end.

"Ok, I'm sorry ok I just needed to get away from it all". Melissa tried to explain herself.

"Get away? Are you serious life's hard Mel, it wouldn't be life if it wasn't. Do you know what your problem is, you never grow up and you never could handle reasonability". Rachel told her some home truths.

"You always did think you were better than everybody else". Mel replied with a huff.

"It's not about being better than everybody else, which I don't I am. You need to sort yourself out once and for all" Rachel told her.

"How's Phil?" Mel asked.

"You really do have a cheek, don't you/ he's fine by the way. He's at university". Rachel informed her.

"University?" Mel asked.

"Yes, he's doing really well as it goes and he doesn't need you waltzing back into his life and staring it up again". Rachel told her.

"I'm his mother". Mel yelled at her sister.

"Mother? You abandoned him and you can barely look after Sophie from what I hear, so don't come with the loving mother routine with me, Mel". Rachel replied harshly.

"I'm sorry I deserve that, but I want to make amends". Mel told her sister sincerely.

"Yeah you do, it's going to take a hell of a lot to repair the damage that you caused, Melissa. And I don't even know if Phil will want to talk to you". Rachel told her.

"I know I know all that, but I'm willing to try, please Rach". Mel begged her older sister.

"Alright, but I have a very busy week as it's the start of a new term, but come by the school on Monday and I'll see you then". Rachel replied with a sigh.

After their goodbyes, Rachel rung up the phone and worked out the throb with her index fingers that had built up as the conversation with sister passed.

The bell for break rung out throughout the entire school certainly didn't help her headache and as she stood up, Rachel had to grip the edges of her desk to stop herself from toppling to the floor.

Rachel didn't notice that Janeece had come into the room and had seen her boss almost collapse.

"Mrs, are alright?" Asked the secretary.

"Oh what? Oh yeah I'm fine, Janeece". Rachel replied, plastering a fake smile on her face.

"You sure?" Janeece asked, not believing her boss for one moment.

"Yeah I'm sure. Could you get me a coffee, Janeece please?" Rachel asked her assistant.

"Coming right up, Mrs Fleet". Janeece smile and totted off.

Rachel sat back in her chair and tried to shake off what had just happened, putting it down to skipping breakfast.

A couple of hours later the bell rang for lunch so, Rachel made her way down to the hall to have lunch with her husband as they had planned that morning.

Rachel entered the lunch ha;; to see it almost full with students and her husband hard at work.

As the canteen was to busy to have lunch with her other half, Rachel just grabbed some food paid and sat down at a table full of the new students..

"Are you the head that was on stage earlier". A nervous year seven asked.

"Yes, yes I am and what's your name". Rachel answered and asked with a soft smile, trying to make the nervous year seven at ease.

"Manning, Jessica Manning, but you can call me jess". Jessica replied.

"Well jess, it's nice to meet". Rachel carried on the conversation.

"How long have you been head then?" Jess asked, taking a mouth full of food.

"Nearly four years". Rachel replied, taking a sop of milk.

"Cool, do you know him?" Jess asked, pointing to Adam.

"Yes, he's my husband" Rachel replied with a smile.

"The food is really good". Jess complemented.

"He'll be pleased when I tell him that". Rachel smiled.

"Well I'm going to join my friends; it was nice talking to you Mrs Fleet". Jess told her as she stood up to leave.

"Ok jess I'll see you later". Rachel replied.

Rachel got up and sorted her tray out then went over to the serving hatch and caught her husband cleaning up with rose after the lunch rush.

"Hey you". She smiled

Turning round at the sound of his wife's voice.

"Hey, yourself". He replied, smiling back at her.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about the few extra classes that you wanted to teach this, come to my office"?" Rachel asked him.

"Yeah sure, rose you alright to finish up?" Adam asked turning his attention to rose.

"Yeah sure no problem". Rose replied. And the two teachers made their way to Rachel's office.

The couple chatted happily as they made their way to the office.

"So we're still on for this weekend?" Rachel asked her husband as they went through the inner office.

"Yeah course we are". Adam answered as they [asted Janeece.

Janeece being the nosy parker that she was. Butted in.

"The two of ya headin' away for the weekend?" She asked swinging in her chair, of which Rachel had asked her a thousand times not to do, not that she listened of course.

"Yes Janeece we are". Rachel answered.

"Cool, were ya headin'?" Janeece proceeded.

"Just out to the country side". Adam answered this time seeing as his wife was getting annoyed by the young teen.

Before she could asked anymore questions riches cut her off.

"We're really Janeece so we have to get on". Rachel told her, trying to keep her tone professional.

"Oh ok, oh before I forget there is someone in your office waiting just said that she needed to see you, wouldn't give me her name, cheeky sod". Janeece told her boss in annoyance.

"Ok thank you, Janeece". Rachel replied and turned on her heels.

Adam and Rachel opened the door of her office and they were both surprised to see the person that was standing there.

Melissa.

There you have it. I have a kidnap storyline in mind, but I'm going to do something I don't normally do, and I'm going to leave it down to the reviewers, this is your story

Mary-Ellen xxx