Faith walked down the campus when she was suddenly chased after. Bolton jumped in front of her and said breathlessly "Been looking for you"

She smiled to him and teased "How sweet"

Faith then carried on walking with him by her side. He slipped his hands in his pockets and cleared his throat before saying to her "Listen I um. I'm thinking about dropping out"

Faith suddenly stopped, lifting her head to him and staring at him hard. Trying to understand if what he has just said was really what he just said. She shook her head and said in a bewildered smile "I'm sorry, what?"

"This place. It ain't for me"

"Since when?"

Bolton shrugged "Since...I don't know, I've been feeling like this for a while but I don't know if I would just being stupid"

"Of course you're being stupid! Bolt you can't just drop out of Uni-"

"I've already had a meeting about it"

Faith stared at him hard for a moment and then barked "This is meant to be setting up your life! Why didn't you tell me before going to the office?"

Once again, he just shrugged. Faith shook her head and said sharply "Wow that's all you can do. A shrug. Seems like you've got it all figured out"

Bolton tutted and shook his head, looking away from her for a moment, he took in a breath and then said "You know. There's a lot of our mates that haven't gone to Uni and are doing pretty alright. Paul, Alisha-"

"Okay so what the hell are you going to do? Fall into an apprenticeship?"

"Why not?"

"Jesus Christ" Faith whispered to herself, turning away from him.

If he had gone into an apprenticeship at the very end of school, then she wouldn't have had a problem with that. But they've built their life up, graduate Uni, get jobs, move in together but there was no guarantee he would even find anything now, all the good ones would have been taken up by the students who left school two years ago. And this was their second year.

"Why now? God damn it, Bolton why now?"

Bolton sighed and then when she saw what he was going to do, she pointed at him and said sharply "I swear to god if you fucking shrug again" she took a deep breath and muttered "Congratulations, Bolton. You've screwed up everything"

Bolton looked up to her as she stared at him a moment longer and then started to walk away "What do you mean?"

She didn't stop, she carried on walking and heard him hell again "Faith! What does that mean!"

Faith walked into Tom's class and sat at the back with her own notebook. She felt very much like a student when she was here. Except now she was giving a helping hand to students. Lindsay was in this class, Faith watched her walk in with Ros, with an understandable glum look on her face as she walked over to the table on the far right hand side of the room, complete opposite to Faith.

She had a young lad who found English Literature pretty difficult, which was understandable. It wasn't the easiest thing in the world, so he sat with her in order for her to walk him through it as best she could. It may only be her second day but she was doing good. Tom certainly sent his praises to Rachel. Faith's eyes couldn't help but flicker to Lindsay ever so often. Nervous for her to suddenly snap. Right now anything could set her off. Sat behind her, was Jess Fisher. Who was nice enough (at times) but didn't half have a gob on her. And her chatting away to Vicky McDonald like there was no tomorrow was not settling well with Lindsay as Faith could tell.

Fifteen minutes into the lesson, into Tom going on about Shakespeare's sonnets, Lindsay finally turned her head to Jess and said rather sharply "Will you shut up?"

Faith looked back over from helping Daniel and saw Jess scoff, twirling her hair with her finger "Um, excuse me this has got nothing to do with you. I'm having a private conversation"

"Private?" Lindsay laughed "Loud enough for the whole flaming school to hear"

Faith glanced to Tom briefly as he asked them to quiet, then back to the girls when she saw that Jess clearly muttered something to Vicky that Lindsay heard, Faith then saw Lindsay's fist clench up and it was suddenly like everything slowed down. She knew what was going to happen so she quickly raced over and stopped Lindsay's hand from making contact with Jess's face. Faith gripped onto her wrist and said sternly "Come outside, now"

Lindsay looked at her up and down "Why would I listen to a trainee?"

"Because if you don't come outside with me for a chat now then Mr Clarkson will just send you to the cooler and believe me it is cold"

Lindsay glanced to Tom, who was now stood and had a stern look on his face. She sighed and pulled her wrist out of Faith's hold and stood up to follow her out, Faith glanced to Jess and muttered "From my angle it would have hurt so you're welcome. Just keep it down"

Faith then went outside to Lindsay, Tom giving her an approving and impressed look as she passed him. She closed the door behind her and folded her arms. After remaining silent for a moment, she then nodded and said "I get it"

Lindsay just scoffed, which just made Faith persevere even more "No really I do. Not the loss you're going through of your dad or being without your mum...but the anger you feel. I get that, and how hard it is to not lose your temper when people are doing your head in...but Lindsay, you'll be doing yourself a big favor if you try to get a hold of all that, I was like you, maybe even worse and Miss Mason would hate me for telling you this but I had a fair few smack arounds here"

"Am I supposed to be impressed?"

"No. You're not, but I'm trying to make you understand that if I could go back and save myself the added angst and frustration then I would in a heartbeat"

Lindsay bit her lip and then scoffed again "Yeah. Am I supposed to take advice from someone who's here because they've got some kind of relationship with the head? Or do you think I don't remember seeing the little hug you two had yesterday"

Faith shrugged and pressed her back against the window, then saying as she looked down the hall to where her mother's office was "Got a fair reason though given the fact she's my mother"

Lindsay quickly looked to her, after remaining silent for a moment, she mumbled "She's your mum?"

"Yeah...I hope that's what you were thinking and not something weird" Faith said, raising a brow and feeling slightly sick in her stomach for a moment "And that might make you think even more that I got this job handed to me, which is fair enough think what you like. And maybe it did help, but I got here. Because I got a grip on things and the bottom line is, Lindsay so do you. For your sake as well as your sister and mums"

Lindsay sighed deeply through her nose and said nothing. Faith shrugged and then opened the classroom door again "It's fine. Don't have to say anything just think about it, that's all I can ask for"

Lindsay glanced to her and then just walked back into the lesson, Faith then quickly whispered as she past "And for the love of god do not smack her"

Faith closed the door again and walked over to Tom as they both watched her, Tom looked to her and asked in a quiet voice "Well?"

"I don't know" she sighed "Pin it down to her grieving and being angry about her mum...besides she didn't hit her did she?"

"Thanks to you. Well done by the way" Tom said, giving her a nudge.

Faith smiled to him and said rather embarrassed "Thanks"

"And you're doing good back there with Daniel"

"Who I should actually get back to" Faith said, falling her hand on his arm for the moment and then walked back to her table.

Faith stuck her plastic fork into her homemade chicken salad and was soon greeted by Kim sitting across the way from her at the table in the staff room "Well, you are getting rave reviews lately"

"It's been literally a day" Faith said in a laugh.

"Doesn't matter. You not seen the new teacher Helen?" Kim rubbed her lips together and tried not to laugh. Faith rolled her eyes and nodded "Bloody useless"

"Tom says that you're doing a better job than she is...and she's considered a qualified teacher"

Faith shrugged and just smirked as she put her food in her mouth, then asked as it sprung into her mind "Who was the suit that was in my mum's office before?"

"Max Tyler. He's meant to be overlooking all the schools in the area, but certainly seems to have taken a shine to this place"

"Put your tongue back in, Kim" Faith teased in a whisper as she stuck her fork back in her salad and then heard Kim laugh breathlessly "I don't know what you're talking about"

"They never do"

Kim smiled to her, amused and then it slowly slipped as she moved onto a different subject, she rubbed her palm against the table and said in a more quiet voice "After you left last night at the pub...um...he came in"

Faith looked up to her and just stared for a moment, then taking a heavy swallow and saying in a weak and suddenly vulnerable mutter "What?"

"Yeah. I don't know whether he came knowing you'd be there because it's where all the staff go"

"He doesn't even know I'm working here" Faith crossed her arms and leaned down on the table, then hearing Kim ask "Through mutual friends? Do you still speak to them?"

Faith bit her lip and nodded with her eyes closed "Yeah...our tight group, yeah. Don't see them the time that he does obviously but" she sat back in her chair and sighed "Shit"

"How long has it been?"

"Since I've seen him?" After getting a confirming nod from Kim she shrugged as she thought and shook her head "It's been a year at least...so did he ask?"

Kim nodded.

"Did anyone confirm to him?"

"You know what Steph's like after a drink, asking him all sorts of personal questions about the two of you"

"And?"

"He didn't say much. It seemed to upset him a bit"

"It should it was his bloody fault" Faith muttered under her breath, seeing Kim rest her chin in her hand and sigh out a frown. Faith just shrugged "What?"

"It's just a shame...you two had it all figured out-"

"And then Bolton decided to bolt" Faith said sharply, suddenly getting defensive for a moment and then sighed to calm herself down, she then rested the side of her head in her hand and shrugged "Maybe I'm still sore about it"

"Feel free to tell me to sling my hook cause I know I'm being nosey here but...how do you feel about him now?"

"Is this you asking as a friend or as a counselor?"

"A friend" Kim said with a kind smile.

Faith thought for a moment and then rubbed her forehead "It's been over a year and I-well I haven't had another boyfriend...I'm speaking to someone now but it's nothing as of yet"

"But you feel like you can be ready to move on?"

"Maybe I'm starting to" Faith said, looking back to Kim and then saying with a sad smile "Can't live my life being heartbroken over Bolton Smilie can I? Break ups happen and at some point we all have to move on"

Kim raised her brows and said in a whisper "Wow. The seventeen year old you wouldn't even recognize you right now"

"That's because seventeen Faith Cooper worshiped the ground Bolton walked on and thought she would have died for him" she muttered as she looked down at the table, then looking back to Kim after a while and shrugged "You knew him. He was the alpha. More than that, he was the one for me. At least I thought. Apart from mum he was just about the only one who could keep me sane, even before I came here"

"I know" Kim muttered sadly.

"But I'm not that angry vulnerable girl anymore. And I hate to even accept the fact that becoming a stronger person meant he was pushed from my life"

"I'm sorry" Kim whispered, rubbing her hand for a moment.

Faith sat up straight again and shrugged as she tucked back into her salad "It's fine. I'm fine. I've got this job, got my family and friends...I'm good"

Faith didn't like the look of Max Tyler, he looked sly and she hasn't even spoken to him yet but already she didn't like him. He walked around as if he owned the place and was the boss. But no, her mother was the boss. And she would make sure he'd remember that, but this time she was going to have to be careful. Because this was her job now, she was no longer just a student and when a teacher gets fired, word spreads.

Faith went up to see Rachel when she had about twenty minutes to spare before she was going into a lesson of Davina's. She politely knocked on the door and then opened it up "Hey mum I-"

She topped when she saw Max turn around and looked to her. Having a somewhat kind look on his face but it was all out of making an impression right now. Faith too wanted to seem polite and nice, she gave a tight, surprised smile and dropped her hand from the door handle "Oh. Hi"

Rachel stood up and motioned her hand to Max as she walked around the desk to the front "Faith this is Max Tyler. Max this is Faith Cooper our schools new trainee...and my daughter"

"Yes I gathered that from the way she came in and said 'mum'." Max muttered before sticking his hand out for Faith and gave her a small smile "Good to meet you"

Faith gave him a cautious nod and shook his hand "Yeah you too"

Rachel put her hands on her hips and took in a breath through the awkward tension and then quickly tried to cover it up by looking to her daughter and asking "Did you need a word with me?"

Faith glanced to Max who then took himself to the other side of the office, Faith then shook her head and blew it off as if it was nothing, waving her hand to her "No it's fine it...it can wait"

Rachel took another step forward and said in a quiet mutter "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Yeah it's not um...it's not teacher stuff it's other stuff" Faith said, then sighing to her a shrugging "It's fine. Oh and by the way, Lindsay James was this close to slapping Jess Fisher one" Faith said, holding her finger and her thumb close together, now getting Max's attention as well.

Rachel raised her brows "What? Why?"

Faith shrugged, putting her hands in the back of her jean pockets "She was in Tom's class before, Jess was doing her head in. Being gobby and I just think Lindsay is in that stage that everything and everyone is getting on her nerves...she's prone to lash out"

"So what-"

"I stopped her" Faith said, growing a small smirk to Rachel. Cause she would know how ironic that whole scenario is. Faith stopping a fight. Rachel hummed a quiet laugh before looking down to the floor for a moment, shooting her a smirk before walking back over to her desk. She then sighed and rested against her desk "Maybe I should talk to her"

"I already did" Faith shrugged. Seeing how Max looks like he wanted to bite down and take order but he was stuck in doing so, so he just asked "And what did you say?"

Faith shrugged again as she folded her arms "That she's going through a difficult time as it is, she should cut herself the added aggravation she will bring on herself if she starts fights...and you just that she should take it from someone who has been there"

Whilst Rachel smiled proudly, Max contradicted her, or at least tried to as he said with disapproval "You spoke about yourself on a personal level to a student?"

"Sometimes students like to hear that their teachers or superiors have their own past to feel like they aren't feeling alone. I was vague about it if that helps" Faith looked to Rachel for a sign of approval, that Rachel thinks that she did the right thing in what she said. Rachel gave her a smile and a nod to her. Which Faith was grateful for, she wanted to know that she was doing a good job in her mother's eyes.

Eddie then came into the office as Faith said she would come back later at lunch to have the conversation she wanted with Rachel. She turned around to him and smiled, patting his chest "Dad"

Eddie smiled to her and watched her walk away, then looking back to the pair of them and saying with a pleased expression "She seems proud"

"With herself" Rachel said with a smile, then nodding to the outside of the office "She stopped Lindsay from hitting Jess Fisher"

Eddie raised his brows "Faith stopped a fight?"

Whilst Rachel laughed and stared at her husband lovingly for a brief moment before she looked over to Max who then when on and criticized "Yes but what she should have done is sent her to the cooler and sent a more...experienced member of staff"

Eddie glanced to Rachel and then scoffed, softly shaking his head "There's no one more experienced the field of feeling vulnerable than Faith. Everything that Lindsay James is feeling regarding wanting to hide from the world is what Faith went through. She quite literally knows how she is feeling"

Max shrugged "Because she got herself into trouble every day of being here doesn't really mean she has a qualification in the students"

Rachel took in a deep breath breath and tried to not lose her temper or snap back at him. She has to try and remain unbiased with it all. She tried to be fair and gently defended "Faith had some issues here. But she built herself up and that's what her point was to Lindsay. She's the voice of experience in that department, sometimes it doesn't require a university degree"

"Couldn't have said it better myself" Eddie muttered, getting a grateful look from Rachel for a brief moment. Max looked to them both and realised he would be out numbered, he hitched his breath and raised his brows for a brief moment "Well this is the family affair-"

Eddie shook his head "That's got nothing to do with our opinions"

"Okay" Max said, clearly not convinced. He tucked his hands into his pockets and cleared his throats and he headed over to the door "Well I'm going to go see more of the school and shall leave you two too it"

Eddie stepped aside and then closed the door as soon as Max left, he turned around and quickly said "I don't like him"

Rachel just laughed as Eddie walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her, Rachel squeezed onto his arms and then said as she gently pushed him back as he had his lips pressed against her neck "We're in school"

"No we're in your office" Eddie muttered, moving his lips to her and whispering "Completely different"

Rachel giggled and smiled against his lips as they pressed to hers. Wrapping her arms around his neck. Five minutes wouldn't hurt she supposed.

They went straight home instead of going to the pub. Two nights in a row may be pushing it, especially for Rachel who fantasies about a glass of wine on the sofa instead of the sticky pub. Which they couldn't actually blame her for. Faith sometimes fantasized about that too, she was just coming off her benders from University. Which Eddie and Rachel knew all about given she still lived at home whilst in Uni and came stumbling in at god knows what time, then some nights, she stayed with the guys. All except Bolton of course.

Faith got home and went straight to the kitchen. She wasn't a gourmet cook but she could spruce up a mean paella. Seafood this time, not chicken. As Rachel and Eddie made themselves comfortable in the living room, Faith found herself quickly slaving away.

When you're in a room alone, your mind tends to wander. And hers began doing just that.

"Ah man!" Bolton cursed as the knife gave him the smallest cut in the world as he was cutting up the peppers. Faith looked to him and couldn't help but mock him by pouting "Did you get a boo boo?"

"Shut up, it stung" Bolton mumbled before sucking on his cut. Faith put her hands on his arm and pushed him gently out the way, then taking over and cutting the peppers up herself.

"Considering you've been brought up by a cook, you sure are shite at cutting up a few bloody peppers"

Bolton scoffed "Yeah well. All I can do is super noodles" he crept up behind her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Nuzzling his face in her neck, which she couldn't help but smile at. They had been at University for a year now and Faith couldn't help but worry about the fact that Bolton had moved out and better yet moved into a flat with Paul. It was a surprise that they hadn't burnt down the place yet.

The front door then opened, Rachel walked in, with Eddie behind her and said with a grin "Well. Is that the famous paella I can smell?"

Bolton bit his lip with a grin and nodded, patting Faith's waist before pulling away "Yeah, Miss"

Rachel looked to him as she dumped her bag onto the stool pulled up to the kitchen island "Bolton we have been this many a times, you haven't been my student in over a year"

Bolton sighed an embarrassed smiled as he heard Faith hum a mocking laugh "Sorry. Rachel"

Rachel gave him a tight smile and took of her jacket as Eddie went over to the fridge to get out a drink for them, looking to Bolton and calling as he opened it up "Fancy a cold on, Bolton?"

"Yeah Si-Eidde. Thanks"

Bolton turned around and leaned his back against the counter, folding his arms and watching Faith chop up the peppers. She glanced to him and mocked in another pout "And how is your poorly finger?"

Bolton just tutted and rolled his eyes before Faith turned to Rachel "Holiday booked?"

Rachel nodded with an excited grin. It was Eddie's birthday gift to Rachel "Three nights, four days away in Paris"

"Take notes" Faith quickly muttered, bumping her hip against Bolton. Bolton looked to Rachel and Eddie, who just raised their brows to him. He shook his head and said before taking hold of his drink from Eddie and said in a small laugh "Nah. Closest I can get to taking you away is a weekend to Wales"

His words were enough to make them laugh, Faith reached up and briefly grabbed onto his cheeks, giving his face a light shake "Baby steps"

They were the kind of memories she wished were still alive in this kitchen. Laughing at Bolton and then sitting down like a proper family and eating. Not that they weren't a proper family without Bolton, because of course they were. But when she thought about her ideal family. He was sure as hell in it. Slowly that image was fading though.

There was a sudden knock on the door, Fatih carried on with the cooking, assuming that Rachel or Eddie would get up and answer. Which Eddie did. Faith then heard after a while "Faith! Got a visitor"

After what Kim had told her, her heart started racing. Almost pounding out of her chest at the thought. Until she then heard a different voice to the one that she had in her mind, she turned her head and grinned as she walked to the hall and saw Donte slap Eddie's back as he passed and stuck his hand in the living room, waving to Rachel. Donte slapped his hands together before opening his arms and scooped Faith up into his arms. Nuzzling his face into her neck and picking her up as he carried her back into the kitchen.

She hadn't seen Donte in two weeks. He had been out of town due to his apprenticeship. Project managing in a car dealership. He swears one day he will run the place, the main thing is, he enjoyed it and it was good, stable money.

He finally put her down and gave her his dazzling grin that she missed so terribly "I've miss you!"

"I've bloody missed you!" Faith said, swatting his towel and then asked as she walked over to the pan "How was Bolton?"

She turned and saw the confused look on his face, she raised his brows "You had to go to Bolton on business? How was it?"

"Oh! Oh yeah it was top, yeah. Got the job done as usual"

"Good. Good. And uh, how's baby Izzie?"

"Aw she's amazing, Faith. You gotta come round soon as see her"

Faith nodded as she tossed the prawns into the pan and looked to him "Yeah, well I actually texted Chlo the other day and said that I'll come round. Probably this weekend, heh, I'll need it"

Donte folded his arms "So how's it going? Being back there and all?"

Faith swayed her head from side to side for a moment and then broke out a smile "Do you know what I never thought I'd say this but I love being back at that school"

"Wow" Donte laughed breathlessly.

"I know. But gotta tell you, it's still got drama"

"Anything like the good old drama we caused?" Donte said with sheer cockiness. But then Faith fired back and said in a plain tone "Two sister's mother gets done for their father's murder which I think one of them was a witness to"

She turned and saw Donte's dropped jaw. She took in a breath through her nose "Yeah. Darker stuff compared to our petty fighting"

"We did good" Donte shrugged, folding his arms "They won't forget us straight away"

"We'll always have our mark" Faith smirked, in a clear reference to the graffiti of their names that they spray pointed on the lockers before leaving, Faith wasn't anticipating at the time that she would be coming back to it.

As Faith stirred things around in the pan she asked "So. Have you seen him?"

She looked back at him and saw him nod. Faith bit her lip and shrugged "And how is he doing?"

"He's doing good" Donte nodded "Asked about you"

"Did he now?"

"Yeah...y'know like you're doing now about him?"

She shot a frown to him. But he had her there. Usually she didn't ask, she usually just got on with things, but after the conversation she had this afternoon. Well, he was playing on her mind. Faith settled the wooden spoon back down on the pan and put her hand on her hip "He came into the pub where the staff go...and now me I suppose"

"I don't think he's stalking you"

"No I'm not saying that" Faith said with a muttered laugh "It's just. What if he comes in whilst I am there? Luckily I was gone when he came yesterday"

Donte shrugged "Then you say hi and get on with the night"

Faith smirked to him "You really think he'll leave things at a 'hi'? He'll want to talk about everything"

"Maybe you need to get that out"

Faith sighed and then heard Donte add on "Y'know closure and that. Moving on?"

"I already have" she quickly said, then looking to him and saw the slightly shock on his face, he raised his brows to her "Really? You never said"

Faith shrugged and just looked down to the pan "Nothing major...and nothing worth mentioning. Besides it's been a year. Is it really a surprise?"

"Guess not…"

Faith shook her head and stepped away from the stove "Forget all that, let me make us a drink and we'll catch up"

Donte smile to her and nodded, he then got all sentimental, like Donte does and put his hands to her cheeks as he said with his soft brown eyes "I'm proud of you, y'know. Done good"

Faith rolled her eyes with a faint smile, Donte pulled her head to him and pressed his lips against her forehead for a brief moment before dropping his hands to her arms and rubbed them before they went over to the kitchen and sat down to have a drink.

It was lucky the food didn't burn.