Here's a short, fillery part for you all. Thank you to those of you who have stuck with this fic! And don't worry, this musical idea is going somewhere... Comments are always appreciated :)

Part 11

It was the following Monday morning and Rachel was already up and dressed before 7.30, ready for the school day ahead. Ever since the past weekend's events, she had tried to push the thoughts of pregnancy to the back of her mind.

It wasn't working.

Her every living thought ran back into the prospect of motherhood somewhere along the line, the fact that she had lied to Eddie frightened her. What else could she be capable of? All she seemed to do these days was lie and deceit and betray those who really just wanted to help. Eddie was an easy target for her cover-ups, he was far too kind to see through her act.

Over on the other side of Rochdale, Eddie Lawson had just rolled out of bed after the menacing shills of his alarm clock had become too much to bare. Today, he knew he had to do everything in his power to avoid Rachel. He'd done wrong. Accusing her of being pregnant was a huge mistake. It was rude, inexcusable, harsh... she couldn't forgive him that easily, surely.

"Good morning Eddie," said Rachel with a wide grin, hoping this would disguise her obvious discomfort around her deputy.

She had purposely waited by her car for him to turn into the school gates this morning a whole ten minutes after she had; it was their normal routine. Slowly parking his car besides Rachel's, Eddie looked out through the dashboard nervously, observing the empty playground around him. The only people around for miles were himself and Rachel. This was the one situation he really didn't want to be in.

"Hi Rachel," he replied as he clambered out of, what Rachel considered as being a tin can, with his briefcase clasped firmly in his right hand.

"Are you going to be venturing out to observe the auditions for Matt's musical today?" Rachel couldn't help but cringe at her pathetic excuse to create small talk.

"Yeah, I suppose." Eddie shut the car door behind him as he locked it, beginning the usual walk up into school with Rachel by his side. "Why, are you?"

"Oh yes," replied Rachel with false enthusiasm. "I've heard more than enough about it from Steph and Matt in the staffroom. I'd love to see if it works up to their exceptional standards."

"Hm, they do seem to go on with themselves quite a bit."

"I agree, but if it's for the good of the school, I can't see a problem," reasoned Rachel as they made their way up to the stairs leading to the school, a more serious tone casting over the conversation. "It's nice to see the kids talents showcased for a change. We all know we're not the most academic of schools but that's not to say our kids aren't talented in different ways."

"Most defiantly."

Pulling back the door for the pair of them to step through, Eddie smiled shyly at how quickly things seemed to have been forgotten. 24 hours ago, things were so, so different yet now, it was as if nothing had ever changed.

"Thank you." Rachel giggled at Eddie's gentlemanly approach, she too, amazed and yet slightly thrilled at how easily this pregnancy scare was being out behind them.

Both knew that in the back of their minds, forgetting about what happened anytime soon was going to be easier said than done. For now, they'd put on a front because it was all they had left.

Little did they know, this whole chapter of their lives was far from over just yet.