Firstly: if you've only read 9.1 once just after I posted it, go back and re-read it. Thanks to some prodding by the wonderful Lori, I went back and tweaked it slightly. Very little has actually changed but I hope it now makes sense in a way it didn't before and obviously this second part goes on from that so I do urge you to re-read if you haven't already done so.

There's a major plot development in this chapter, one that's probably going to have you baying for my blood…

Reviews:

Lori: And I thank you for being passionate enough about this fanfic to call me when things are below par! I knew things weren't right when I posted it, but I was lazy and didn't follow my gut instinct. Your comment gave me the kick I needed to make the changes that would allow that chapter to make sense, so I'm glad—and deeply relieved—that it worked. Believe it or not, I do firmly subscribe to the belief that every scene in a story needs to move the reader's understanding of either plot or character forward to work—and as it originally stood, that chapter did neither. Which reminds me, I still owe you and Paisley another chapter of Piper.

Paisley: Glad you found the humour in Sue/Hector. Trying to decide whether to keep him in or not, what do you think? And you should be happy with this bit… or maybe not.

Niamhemiliee: Aw, thanks. That was a lovely comment on that chapter given its very real failings (thus the slight rewrite) and I'm so glad you're enjoying my portrayal of Christine! She's easily my favourite character to write, not least because she's so unpredictable. Having said that, I think I'm going to hide from you after you've read this bit…

Mrs Mulgrew's classroom, 11.45am

'OK, get started. Before anyone asks, yes, you can discuss this in groups but only if you can keep the volume down to dull roar.' Year 12 quite frankly gaped and Christine gestured. 'So what are you waiting for? Get on with it, the work won't do itself!'

There was a further moment of stunned silence before the pupils started to arrange themselves into groups as suggested, and Christine shook her head as she stacked Year 7's exercise books in a neat pile and sat down. She hadn't been that much of an ogre, had she? Then again … She glanced at the makeshift table at the back of the room with its three dark heads, one red, and one gold, and bit her lip. Remembering Connor that morning perhaps it was better not to ask. Better instead to focus on moving forward as she'd intended.

With that thought in mind, she gave the class ten minutes to get stuck in while keeping a furtive eye on the group at the back. She was hoping to get an opportunity to speak to Dynasty and discover more about Kacey's state—but she didn't want to interrupt the girl if the younger woman seemed to be enjoying the task and being with her friends once more. If school and lessons could give her some sort of respite Christine was not going to break it.

But Dynasty did not seem to enjoying it at all. Whilst the others argued over their text—even Kevin, whose speech had come on in leaps and bounds over the past fortnight—the elder Barry girl seemed sunk in a dark world of her own, making no effort to join in. When Christine saw Imogen try to prod her into taking part and get nothing but short shrift for her trouble, she decided to delay no longer.

She rose, taking a moment to circulate around the tables. A word of reprimand for Jack and Ryan, who seemed to be arguing over something that was decidedly not Tess. A word of encouragement for Rhiannon and Jasmine, who didn't seem to know what they were doing. Nods of approval for sundry groups who did, and then at last she felt she could approach her son's group without making her intentions blatantly obvious.

'Well?' she prompted, placing her hands flat on the desk. 'Any conclusions?'

'Yeah, that Hardy's a bore,' Connor grunted, and Christine's lips quivered. 'All these descriptions, pages and pages of them—'

'It could be worse,' Louisa cut in. 'It could be Far From The Madding Crowd.'

'Nothing could be worse,' Connor snorted and his mother had to bite back a laugh when Kevin smirked and asked when he'd developed a passion for sheep, much to Connor's bewilderment.

'Read it and you'll find out,' Christine told him briskly. 'Or… you could take the lazy route and watch it, I think I've got a tape at home—What?'

The young people were staring at her.

'A tape, Mrs Mulgrew?' Imogen asked, eyes dancing.

'That's, like, ancient technology, miss,' Kevin put in, still smirking. 'D'you still have a VHS recorder too?'

'Yes, and it's nearly as old as Connor is,' Christine told him tartly. 'Your point?' Connor sent Kevin a look that said shut up and the latter subsided. 'Good. Back to Tess and the subject at hand, please. Dynasty—'

The Head Girl had remained silent throughout the whole exchange. Louisa had to nudge her twice before she roused, raising troubled eyes to Christine's face.

'Did you want me, miss?'

Christine nodded towards the door. 'A word.' She turned on her heel and left the room, crossing the hall to lean against the wall with her arms folded.

Dynasty approached with lagging steps, her head downcast.

'So?' Christine prompted gently when several moments passed without a word from the younger woman. 'How are you? How's Kacey?'

Dynasty's lip trembled and she gave her head a slight shake.

'Come on.' Christine brushed a light touch on the girl's shoulder. 'Talk to me, Dyn.'

A quiver ran through her.

'Mum said … Mum said I can't,' she gasped. 'She said … She said it was our business, like, she didn't want anyone else knowin' that a Barry's that messed up in the 'ead—'

'She said what?' Christine exploded, and immediately regretted it when the younger woman flinched back. ''Shh, it's OK. I'm not angry.' She paused, studying the girl before her and acutely aware that she must choose her next words carefully. 'What about you, h'mm? What do you think?'

Dynasty shook her head wildly and Christine sighed.

'Right. Well, you know where I am… Now. I need some answers. What with one thing and another I'm not clear exactly what happened last week. Care to shed some light on the situation?'

Dynasty shook her head a second time, her lips pressing tightly together.

'Oh, come on. Was it an accident? I've heard something about Lisa and Shaznay, something about them causing Kacey's fall?'

Dynasty's head snapped up.

'It wasn't them, it was me! If you're lookin' for someone to punish … It was me!'

'How?' Christine was careful to keep her voice soft.

'Because … because she didn't want to c-come and I…' The younger woman's control was becoming more tenuous by the second. 'She told me she were ill an' I never b-believed her! She didn't wanna c-come and I m-made her!' The last words came out in a strangled wail that hurt Christine's very core. She knew how destructive guilt could be.

She held out her arms. 'Oh, come here.'

Dynasty stumbled into them. 'I was so horrible to her, Christine! I blackmailed her into comin', I did, and then when she was totally freakin' out up there I was so mean, I was …' She crumpled into incoherency and Christine tightened her embrace, resting her chin on top of the girl's head.

'There … shhhh, it's OK … Dyn, listen to me.' She drew back to catch Dynasty's eyes with her own. 'Listen. You are not to blame, OK? Kacey could have insisted that she wasn't feeling well. She's sixteen. As Connor reminded me this morning, that's not a kid. And she got all the way up that damned hill under her own steam.'

Dynasty's breath was still hitching from sobs, her eyes very dark.

Christine squeezed her upper arms to try to jerk the girl out of her private hell. 'So. How did Kacey fall? I refuse to believe you pushed her. Ah!' She lifted a forefinger. 'You did not push her, did you?'

'No, but I—'

'So what happened?'

'I—I dunno,' Dynasty gasped. 'I never saw, that was my fault too, wasn't it. I should've been lookin' out for her, she's me wee sister, the only one I've got!' She sniffled. 'Christine, if she'd died up there, me mum'd never forgive us. I'd never forgive us, I feel sick just rememberin'!'

'Well, she didn't,' Christine told her firmly. 'You worrying about it isn't going to help Kacey now, is it?'

'That's another thing.' Dynasty's voice had dropped to a near-whisper. 'How'd we not see it? Any of us? That doctor, he told us that anorexia is dead serious, it has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Mum nearly 'ad him for sayin' it, but I googled it after and 'e wasn't lyin'. Our Kace has something she coulda died from and we never even knew!'

'Oh, Dyn.' Christine's sigh ruffled the younger woman's hair as she pulled her close once more. 'That's a guilt we all share, love. As teachers we're supposed to be aware, and…' She shook her head. 'I don't think any of us realised. But let's be brutal here, OK? You didn't know because Kacey didn't want you to know. My understanding is that anorexia is about secrecy and control. If Kacey was drowning it was because on some level she wanted to drown. You couldn't help her until she wanted to help herself.

She bit her lip. 'Like me and alcohol. When I'm sober, I know the damage it does. But when I drink …' She closed her eyes. 'The only thing that's important is getting that next drink, you can ask Connor, he'll tell you. There were times he took that vodka away and I—I shouldn't be telling you this, but I literally begged him for it, Dyn. All his lectures and the doctors and the trouble it got me into at work, none of it mattered. Until the fire where Imogen was hurt and finally I realised what I was doing to myself and Connor, but mostly to Connor. That's when I made the effort and started going to my meetings.'

'B-but you're b-better now.' Dynasty raised swollen blue eyes. 'Aren't you?'

Christine's smile was grim as she remembered the bottle in her drawer. 'Some days are better than others. I'm an addict, that doesn't go away. I can manage it, to a point. I can try to control it so that it doesn't control me… but it requires work. Constant, never-ending work. So be patient with Kace, you might find that there is no quick fix.' A bell sounded and she groaned. 'Damn, we're out of time. Where are you now?'

Dynasty was scrubbing fiercely at her eyes with a hanky. She glanced up. 'We're free, all of us five.'

'Five?'

The Head Girl's chin lifted. 'Yeah, five. 'Cos Lulu's one of us now, ain't she?'

'Well, thank God for that!' Christine's lips twitched when Dynasty gave an indignant toss of the head at her tone. 'Not a moment too soon either, h'mm? Now, go and get your things. And stay strong. Kacey needs you more than ever.'

Dynasty's smile was watery. 'Thanks, miss.' With the others streaming out it was time to return to formality. Her smile turned shy. 'You always help.'

Christine watched her dive into the swift-moving river of students but stayed where she was, her lips compressing as she watched for her next target. He was not long in coming—and for once she welcomed his fussing when he stopped dead at sight of her.

'What was that about?' her son demanded, jerking his head back towards her door. 'I was starting to worry when you didn't come back.'

'No need. Dynasty just needed to talk. It just took longer than expected.'

'Is she OK?'

Christine blew out a sigh. 'I hope so. It's not going to be easy and–well, she's already had a hell of a time. Which brings me to you, son.'

'Me?'

'You. Come here.' Now that her classroom was empty, Christine was able to pull him in. 'Sit down and tell me everything that happened with Kacey last week. Start from the beginning and don't leave anything out!'

Dining Hall, 12.40pm

'Well, I'm glad to see you look as if you're enjoying that!' Audrey placed her tray opposite Christine and the latter mentally rolled her eyes and skewered a mushroom with her fork. Fond as she was of the older woman, sometimes her enthusiasm could be wearing.

'They're not bad.' She felt guilty when her friend's expression fell. 'What do you want me to say? It's just … breaded mushrooms, it's hardly Michelin-star fare.'

'We made them ourselves.' Audrey sounded ridiculously proud. 'At Grantly House over the weekend, I mean. Maggie and I thought everyone could do with a distraction after last week so we took the children out foraging, brought them back, breaded them, cooked them …' She leaned forward. 'It worked wonders, Christine, absolute wonders. Especially for the Browns and Darren Hughes, all three were very upset after last Wednesday, poor things.'

Christine slammed down her fork. 'Really. Did either you or Maggie ask what actually happened out there?'

Audrey looked reproachful. 'They told us it was an accident. Kacey tripped backwards over a log, they said.' She shook her head. 'At least some good has come of it, now Kacey's getting the help she needs.'

'Be that as it may, it doesn't excuse what those little monsters did! I'm not surprised they've been claiming it was just an accident, why wouldn't they when clearly you and Maggie have been fussing over them ever since instead of giving them the punishment they bloody well deserve!'

'Christine!' Audrey sounded shocked. 'That's not fair, how were we to know? Even Rhiannon—'

'Rhiannon wasn't there,' Christine snapped. 'As for how, it doesn't take much to work it out, Audrey! Come on! Darren Hughes, for Pete's sake. You're the one who was ready to lynch me some weeks back when you accused him of defacing Kacey's photo, you know as well as I do that he'd already been in trouble over name-calling. And as for Lisa Brown, I wouldn't trust that kid as far as I could throw her! You should've known better than to take anything either of those two said at face value!'

'Like you did?' Audrey's eyes sparkled with annoyance. 'As I remember, you defended them!'

'Yes, because I know them and I know you! They'd insisted it was nothing to do with them and I'll give them this much, they're pretty vocal when they're genuinely innocent. You said yourself they've been upset—or don't you mean subdued? Guilty consciences, perhaps?'

The older woman held up her hands. 'Fine, you have a point. But I'm not the only one to blame. I'm their housemistress, but you're their form teacher. Why haven't you been investigating before now?'

Christine's lips pressed tight. 'I was off on Thursday, remember?'

Audrey's eyebrows went up. 'Yes. And Friday?'

Christine's lips pinched as she speared another mushroom and ate it without another word. Trust Audrey to say that, trust her to rub it in. She was already all too aware of her own failings in that regard, she didn't need—

'Oh, an argument. This sounds juicy!' Christine glared up at Hector, who was standing beside the table, that hateful grin-cum-smirk firmly in place. 'Is it just for you ladies or can anyone join in?'

Audrey looked stunned and Christine was just about to tell Hector what he could do when Sue tugged at his arm.

'Leave it, Hector. Come on—'

'Why don't you sit here?' Mika called across from the next table.

Christine watched as Sue seemed to waver, her gaze proclaiming her indecision. The older woman's eyes narrowed as remembered one part of Connor's story and she pointed at the empty seat beside her.

'No, you're OK, Sue. Sit. I want to ask you something.' The younger woman obeyed in silence while Hector took the seat opposite. Christine looked Sue up and down. 'Audrey and I are … discussing … what happened last week.'

Sue blanched, confirming Christine's suspicions. 'I don't know anything about it, I was with Nikki and Mika the whole time!'

'Oh, absolutely,' Mika leaned across to say, and Christine looked at her. That was not an affirmation, Mika's tone positively dripped sarcasm.

'Indeed.' Christine's gaze shifted from Mika back to Sue. 'So. Anything you'd like to tell me?'

Hector leaned forward. 'Why does she need to tell you anything, Mrs … Mulgrew, isn't it? I don't remember seeing your name at the door.'

Christine ignored him.

'Come on, Sue. You're in trouble as it is, don't make it worse. Secrets don't work in this place, haven't you realised that yet?'

Sue flinched as if Christine had struck her. 'I—I—'

'Something about you and phones, I believe?'

Sue's complexion flamed and she turned on Mika. 'You promised you wouldn't say! That was our deal!'

'Deal?' Audrey interrupted. 'What deal?'

Christine threw her a look. 'Let me guess, h'mm? Mika, you've been seeing Simon and my guess is you've been trying to keep it quiet. In your fashion.' The younger woman started and Christine's laugh was scornful. 'Come on, did you really think Tom and I didn't know? We're neither of us daft … or blind. As for you, Sue, Mika hasn't said anything. Connor told me that none of the emergency phones given to his group worked. Now. I can believe a problem with one or even two, but three? That's a stretch. That was your job—'

'And I messed up again, all right? Is that what you wanted to hear?'

Christine blinked. 'Sue—'

'Leave her alone, Mrs Mulgrew.' Hector's tone had lost its teasing joviality. 'You might've been Head last term, you're not now, it's none of your business—'

'It is when it was my kids up there!' Christine hissed, leaning forward to give force to her words. 'Sue made a mistake, I understand that, but this can't be brushed under the carpet. A pupil nearly died because of her negligence, no-one can expect the school to overlook that!'

'Do you think I don't know that?' Sue's question was a whispered scream. 'It wasn't just your kids at risk, Christine! I've been beating myself up ever since, I can't stop thinking about it, I can't sleep—'

Christine straightened. 'Then you know what you've got to do.'

'Christine—' Audrey tried and Christine turned on her.

'No, Audrey! It's time someone started taking responsibility around here!' She pushed her chair back. 'I'm doing my part this afternoon in taking Lisa and her partners in crime to task, I expect you and Maggie to back me up! As for you, Sue, you need to tell Simon everything—for your own sake, because if this comes out later and it looks like you've hidden it…' She whistled. 'God help you if Carol Barry ever gets hold of it. She'll run you out of the country. And the GTC?' She clicked her tongue. 'I can promise you'll never teach again and as things stand, well… It's not as if you can ask Simon or I for a reference for anything else, is it?'

'Just hold on—' Hector cut in and Christine's lips thinned.

'If you interrupt me one more time, Mr Reid—!'

'Christine, please.' Audrey again. 'Remember where we are, we've got an audience.' She gestured and Christine forced herself to calm down; it was a timely reminder. Their raised voices had attracted the attention of the whole hall and the kids were watching avidly.

She rose and moved the chair under the table with a audible crash, firing a glare at the room in general. Fortunately the kids took the hint and turned back to their own affairs, leaving Christine to finish with her colleagues.

'Fine. I won't say anything more. For now. But mark my words, Sue—you need to speak to Simon or I assure you, I will!'

Mrs Mulgrew's classroom, 1.40pm

'OK, there's the bell. Get to Science, you lot—not you, Lisa Brown, or you, Darren Hughes. Or Shaznay.' Christine gestured at the row before her. 'Sit.'

Lenny lingered at the door. 'Miss—?'

Christine summoned a smile she was far from feeling. The boy's eyes were anxious and after nearly a term as his form teacher she knew he was prone to panic attacks. 'It's all right, Lenny. I'll try not to keep them too long. Just let Miss Spark know, OK?'

He gave a tentative smile and wave and was gone, leaving Christine with her three miscreants, all of whom had taken characteristic positions in the row before Christine's big desk. Darren was leaning his seat back to the point where it only just avoided crashing against the desk behind, his eyes hooded. Lisa was hunched down in hers, her lank hair falling over her shoulders and a scowl gracing her face. And Shaznay … of the three, Shaznay looked the most guilty. She refused to meet Christine's eyes and her fingers pulled fretfully at the loom band on her wrist.

'So. I think it's time we had this out, don't you?' The three shifted and Christine sighed. 'Come on. I've heard various versions of what happened last week and now… now, I want to hear it from you.'

'Why d'you always hit on us?' Lisa spat. 'S'if no-one else ever gets into trouble!'

'OK, Lisa, since you want to talk, talk. I've heard less than pleasant things about you, young lady. I'm this close'—Christine pinched her fingers together—'to suggesting that Mr Lowsley call your grandfather in—'

'What's the point in that? He don't listen either!'

'He's your only responsible relative!' Christine retorted and immediately regretted it. She knew how the Brown twins worshipped the older brother who had looked after them until his arrest for drug dealing some months before. She sighed. 'Listen, I'm giving you a chance here, a chance to tell your side of the story. What happened?'

After much shuffling and several exchanged glances, it was Darren who began.

'It all started wiv them dumb photos of Miss McFall's, the one she said I wrote on when I never. Well, Lise said she knew who really did it and Kacey knew, so—'

'We waited til we stopped for lunch,' Shaznay took it up. 'Dynasty an' that were busy chasin' everyone else an' I saw Kace go off by 'erself, like. I said to Lise, I said that now were our chance when there was no-one about to 'ear, just in case she was wrong.'

'An' I weren't wrong, were I?' Lisa flipped a lanky lock over her shoulder and glowered up at Christine. 'Yous all think I'm daft, but I'm no' daft as ye think. I worked it out. If it weren't us or McFall or Year 8, there was only one person it could be—an' that were Kacey 'erself.'

'Kacey wrote those things on her photograph?' Christine exclaimed, genuinely shocked. 'Are you sure?'

'Dead sure, miss. She admitted it when Lise said so.' Shaznay lifted her chin. 'Darren's a perv, but he's our perv an' we knew he never done it.'

'Fine.' Christine made a mental note to pass that on to Audrey; the other woman now owed Darren Hughes an apology and she'd make damn sure he got it, regardless of his other sins. 'Well, I'm glad you've been able to clear your name, Darren. What happened next?'

Darren lifted his shoulders. 'We dunno, miss. Lise was … Lise was talkin' at her, an' she were backin' away, like, to get away from us. An' then the next thing she flipped back over sommat an'–an' she was gone, rollin' down that hill!' He shuddered and Christine, watching, decided that the shudder was genuine. 'I've never 'eard anything like them screams she were makin'—'

'So no-one pushed her?' Christine snapped. 'No-one shoved her, even a little? Her fall was entirely accidental?' Darren shuffled and she raised her eyebrows. 'Mr Hughes?'

'I uh, I might've jabbed 'er. But it weren't much, miss, it were just a jab!'

'Show me. Come on, come up and show me.'

Darren gawped. 'On you, miss? No way, Clarkson'd kill us—'

Christine bit into her lip in an effort to suppress a wildly inappropriate desire to laugh. 'Fine. Lisa. Come up and you can show me on her—assuming she doesn't object and she won't, if she knows what's good for her.'

Duly warned, Lisa came up without protest and Darren demonstrated. Christine sighed; assuming all three were telling the truth, Darren was right. It was just a jab in the chest, enough to shake you, perhaps, but not enough to fell a person. At least, not enough to fell a healthy person under normal circumstances…

'Right. Well, it seems that most of it was sheer bad luck.' The three before her visibly relaxed and Christine gave them a grim smile. 'Not so fast, you're not getting off the hook that easily—' She broke off, her grip on the desk edge tightening as a sharp cramping pain rippled through her abdomen, momentarily blocking out all else. 'I—' She let out the breath she hadn't realised she was holding and tried to ignore the cold sweat that had broken out across her forehead and down her back. 'At—at the very least, you've been guilty of bullying and this school has a—' She stopped as a second cramp went through her, biting so deep into her lip that she tasted blood.

'Miss, are you OK?' Shaznay sounded scared.

Christine made a huge effort. If she could just say what she needed to say she could get rid of them—and once they were gone, she could fall apart. She'd been a fool to think that her life could ever go well, that she'd ever be able to have what everyone else had, seemingly without trying…

She gritted her teeth and tried to speak as evenly as she could. 'Waterloo Road … has a zero-tolerance policy for … for bullying. Darren, you can go to Mr Lowsley. I wouldn't be surprised if he calls the police, what you did …' Her voice was starting to shake and the kids in front of her were looking increasingly alarmed. She didn't want their alarm, she couldn't handle it. They had to be given something else to think about, and fast, and then she could get rid of them…

'It was verging on assault,' she said, more harshly than she intended. 'Go! Shaznay, you've lost whatever free time you had between now and the end of term and I'll be sending a letter home to your mum. And Lisa—' She had to pause to dig the nails of one hand into the other, to distract herself from the meaty pain. 'Lisa, you're the same. And consider yourself house-gated. And … get out of my sight, the pair of you!'

They didn't need to be told twice, scuttling for the door almost as soon as the words were out of Christine's mouth. She didn't care; she was only barely aware of the slam of the door behind them as she lowered herself to the floor, wrapped her arms around herself and wept for the end of hope.

TBC

Trust me, folks. Just trust me! :)

And reviews are, as always, much wanted—especially after a chapter like this one.