Hey guys, next chapter for you. Thanks to all who reviewed the previous one: miss nyx, SassyJ, Jodie, Tee, DetBarb, Robyn, Sam, Laura (SaMaNdPhiL4eVeR) and Laura (S-Nixon). Thanks also to DetBarb and Laura (S-Nixon) for reviewing Chapter 4. Please keep doing so, luv ya all Gemz xxx

Chapter 6- Manipulation

Adele woke up at about six the next morning. She sat up rubbed her eyes, she looked towards the clock on her bedside table and when she saw the time, she sighed to herself; there was no point in going back to sleep now, she'd have to be up in an hour anyway to get ready for school. Adele got out of bed and pulled her dressing gown off the back of her door and quietly opened her door, trying not to wake Sam and Stuart up. She crept downstairs and poked her head around the living room door to see if anyone was awake. To her surprise, she saw Sam sat on the sofa with a cup of coffee in her hands. 'Mum?' Adele whispered.

Sam jumped slightly and looked up, 'what are you doing up so early?' she asked.

'I didn't think there was much point in going back to sleep, I'd only sleep in,'

Sam smiled at her as she shifted up so that Adele could sit next to her, 'what time did dad come back then?' Adele asked.

'I don't think it was long after you went to bed, about 11:30, maybe a bit later,' Sam replied.

'How come he was so late getting back?'

Sam shrugged her shoulders, 'your guess is as good as mine,' she said.

'You didn't ask him?'

Sam shook her head, 'I didn't want to wake you up and that's what would've happened if we'd started arguing about where he'd been,'

Adele smiled at her mum, 'did you sleep well then?' Sam asked.

Adele nodded, 'not too bad,' she replied.

Sam took a sip from her cup of coffee and smiled at her youngest daughter, 'I'm just going to get myself a cuppa,' Adele said as she got up and went through to the kitchen.

She came back a few minutes later clutching a cup of tea and sat back down beside her mum.

Stuart woke up at about seven that morning. He sat up and as he did so, he noticed that the other side of the bed was empty, Sam had already got up. Stuart sighed to himself and tried unsuccessfully to suppress a yawn. He hadn't got much sleep last night, he had too busy thinking about what had happened the night before, he couldn't believe he hadn't seen this coming. Of course Stuart had had his suspicions about the reasons why Rachel had chosen to get back in touch with him; he could never have imagined that the choices he had made could possibly have such far-reaching consequences.

Stuart got dressed and went downstairs a little while later. He heard giggling coming from the kitchen and headed towards the door. The giggling stopped as soon as he entered, 'oh look who it is,' Sam muttered.

'Any coffee going?' Stuart asked.

'Try the pot, that's where it usually is,' Sam replied coldly as she made herself her second coffee of the day.

Stuart walked over to the worktop and made himself a coffee. As he finished, a couple of slices of toast popped out of the toaster, 'oooh, is that for me?' Stuart asked.

'Nope,' Sam replied as she took the slices of toast out of the toaster and put them on a plate, 'that's Adele's breakfast.'

'But she's 15; she's capable of making her own breakfast,'

'So if she's capable of making her own breakfast, I guess that makes you more than capable so do it,' Sam said, putting as much emphasis on the last two words as she could as she put the plate down in front of Adele.

'Fine!' Stuart replied as he moodily shoved two bits of bread into the toaster.

Sam picked up the plate of toast that she'd made for herself earlier and left the kitchen to go upstairs. 'What's eating her?' Stuart asked.

'Take a wild guess,' Adele replied as she took a bite out of the toast.

'Ah,' Stuart said, it was making sense now.

'You need to talk to her dad,'

'I know I do Adele, I was going to tell her what had happened last night but she wouldn't listen to me,'

'I think she thought it would result in an argument,'

'I don't want to argue with her, I just wanna be honest with her,'

'Talk to her dad,' Adele said as she finished her toast.

She looked up at her dad as she left the kitchen to get dressed. Stuart sighed to himself, Adele was right; they needed to talk.

Sam was sat in her office later that morning, staring blankly at a document on her computer screen. She was supposed to be typing up a report but her heart wasn't really in it, she had other things on her mind. Sam needed to know what had happened last night, she didn't want to make things worse between her and Stuart but she felt that they would if she didn't speak to him about last night. Having Rachel around was also going to be a threat to their marriage, even after sixteen years of marriage, Sam still saw Rachel as a rival for Stuart's affections. She knew she was being stupid thinking like this but she couldn't help it, they had history. She sighed to herself as the door to her office opened, 'you look how I feel,' Phil said as he leant casually against the doorframe.

Sam smiled up at him before turning her head back to the report. 'Hey,' Phil said as he entered the office and closed the door behind them, 'what's up?'

Sam looked back up at him, 'do you want a coffee?'

'Oooh, I'd love one!'

'Good, I'll tell you everything over a coffee in the canteen,'

Phil smiled at Sam as she stood up and opened the office door before leaving the main CID office, with Phil following her.

'What is the matter then Sam?' Phil asked once they were sat in the canteen with a cup of coffee each.

'It's Stuart,' Sam replied.

'What about him?'

'He got invited out for a drink yesterday by his first love from high school; he called me to say they were going for dinner as well. Stuart didn't come back until gone 11:30 last night,'

'Ah, I see,'

'I don't know what to think Phil, what if something did happen last night? I don't know whether I'm overreacting,'

'Sam,' Phil sighed, 'you're not going to know the truth until you speak to him. So...do that, it'll put your mind at rest.'

Sam looked up at him and smiled, resting her hand on top of his as she did so, 'thanks Phil,' she said, 'what would I do without you eh?'

Phil rested his other hand on top of Sam's 'I'm always here if you need to talk, you know that,' he said.

'I know,' she smiled at him.

Stuart was sat in his office, poring over the stack of paperwork that stood precariously on the edge of his desk. He sighed to himself as he put his pen down, he hadn't been able to concentrate on this all morning; he had to many other things on his mind. The phone rang, dragging Stuart out of his stupor, 'thank God for that,' he whispered.

He picked it up, 'hello?' he said.

'Stuart? It's me, Rachel,' Rachel replied.

'Rachel...What do you want?'

'I'm outside the station now; I need to see you,'

Stuart stood up and looked towards the window, he could quite clearly see her standing on the pavement opposite the station, 'stay there, I'll be down in a minute,' he said as he hung up.

Stuart grabbed his coat off the back of his chair and left the office to descend the staircase.

He opened the doors to the station and walked briskly towards Rachel, 'what exactly do you want Rachel?' he asked, 'I am very busy.'

'I need to ask you a favour,'

'What sort of favour?'

'I've got some sort of plumbing problem and I need somewhere to stay while the problem is sorted,'

'Why are you telling me this?'

'I was wondering if I could stay at your place…until the problem is fixed,'

'I don't know Rachel; I don't think Sam would like it very much,'

'What would she say if she knew what really happened last night? I'm sure you haven't told her the full story. If you don't let me stay, I'll tell her what happened,'

Stuart looked at her, he was torn. He knew Sam wouldn't be too keen on letting his ex-girlfriend stay in their house but on the other hand, he couldn't risk Sam finding out exactly what had happened the night before, he had no idea how she'd react, he had to keep that a secret at all costs. 'What's the answer then Stuart, will you let me stay or shall I go and have a little chat with your wife,' Rachel finally said.

Stuart's gaze met hers, 'go on then,' he relented, 'you can stay but only until your plumbing problem is sorted.'

'Thanks Stuart,' Rachel replied as she kissed him on the cheek.

Stuart smiled slightly, 'where's your stuff then?'

Rachel gestured towards her car, it was a silver Mercedes. 'I tell you what,' Stuart said, 'lets get your stuff sorted now, I need a break from the paperwork.'

Rachel smiled at him as she got into the drivers seat. Stuart looked up at the windows to CID, he couldn't see Sam so he got into the passengers seat and Rachel drove off.

Oooh, what's Sam going to say to that?? Please review :) xxx