Thank you for the reviews.

Happy New Year and I am back... with another what if. And making this story longer than what WR, WM was... And we are still going.

Do I have a plan of how long I am going to wait between each of these? No, not really. Do I get impatient? Yes.

Update on Push My Luck - Currently writing chapter 25 and I do hope to start posting it this month. Everything is planned out(ish). It just needs me to sit down and write it (which I have managed to do quite a bit over the last few days) and then decide how I am going to give it to you... This will be the impatientness again.

Clarkson

"Poppy Davis."

"Here."

"Jamie Evans."

"Here."

"Tommy Fleet."

"Here."

Tom took his chance as he saw the name. With Eddie being back as the headteacher, it could only be a coincidence that this boy had the same surname as she would. Rachel couldn't be back at the same time as Eddie.

Yet as he looked at the boy that had just said 'here' to his name, Tom couldn't shake the similarities.

"Your mother doesn't happen to be Rachel Mason."

Tommy smiled at him. "She said that you might be quick to catch on."

"So she has mentioned about her time here."

"Honestly Mr Clarkson, as soon as I said I wanted to come here, she started telling me the stories. Dad didn't like it as he doesn't like the school but I just got more and more excited the more she told me. She said that you were one of the best teachers that she has ever worked with."

"And she is one of the best headteachers that this school has ever seen. I enjoyed working with her a lot."

Tom shook his head as he returned to the register.

Rachel Mason had been dragged back to Waterloo Road as well.

Tom had found out that even though Rachel had spoken about Eddie, she hadn't called him by his name but as her deputy, which Tom found quite sweet but very true. Rachel was definitely not the same person after Eddie left and Waterloo Road wasn't the same without both of them.

It just meant that it was down to him to tell Tommy that the new headteacher was this person that Rachel talked about so affectionately about.

He couldn't help but smile as he saw Eddie with Tommy. It was quite obvious that he was telling the boy off for something but it meant that he had the opportunity to tell Eddie that he could be reunited with Rachel again.

As the two boys walked away from Eddie, Tom could tell that he was trying to place where he had seen Tommy before.

"He looks familiar doesn't he?" Tom said.

"You are right there. Just can't place it."

"Maybe you aren't the only person to be returning to this place."

"What do you mean?"

"Just think about who he looks like. Honestly, if I told you, you would see it straight away."

"Then just tell me."

Tom smiled. "That would take the fun away from me."

Tom never expected that later that day, he would be standing in the foyer of the school, waiting for Rachel to walk through the door. He wished that they were still in Rochdale. He would say something similar to what she had said to him on her first day. Just she wouldn't be as rude as he was to her.

Eddie hadn't figured it out yet and Tom had almost told him, but he also wanted to see the shocked look on his face when he was reunited with Rachel. If only it was just Rachel.

Adam stormed into the building and groaned when he noticed Tom.

"For Christ's sake."

"Tom." Rachel said as she finally caught up.

"Rachel."

He hugged her and it did feel like nothing had changed. She was still there with a brilliant smile on her face.

"Is it?" She whispered to him.

Tom didn't answer her but gave her a small nod as they pulled back. He knew that Rachel wasn't the easiest to read people but he had felt like her mood had changed.

"Let's get you all to the heads office."

Rachel seemed to fall in step with him, leaving Adam to be with Mrs Evans. Tom could tell that she wanted to say more to him but didn't. It probably wasn't the best place and he didn't know how much Adam knew. Especially when Tommy had hinted that Rachel would only speak about Eddie when he wasn't about.

Tom told Eddie that they were there but he felt like he couldn't leave. He wanted to see whether he was right and the fact that they hadn't seen each other in 13 years made no difference. It seemed to make no difference to him and Rachel and one of the last things Tom had said to her was to congratulate her on getting married.

"Mrs Evans, Mr and Mrs Fleet. Please come in." Eddie said.

It wasn't Rachel that Tom watched but Eddie as he slowly came to the realisation that the woman left was the woman that he thought it was. He even nudged Georgina as his smile widened.

"Mr Lawson."

"Mrs Fleet."

Tom knew that it wasn't what either of them wanted to say to each other and Eddie was slowly getting over his shock as Rachel walked passed him into the office.

"Mr Clarkson, seeming as you have nothing better to do, could you get the boys?"

Tom didn't really know why he stayed but as Jamie and his mum left, he was grateful that he did as Adam jumped out of his seat and walked towards Tommy.

"What has gotten into you? We raised you better than this. You aren't some common…"

"That's unfair," Tom said. "He messed up and he has apologised for it."

"Messed up? Of course, you would still be like that. Just like her, see the good in people. He has never done anything like this before and he goes here for six weeks and he is punching people."

"Adam." Rachel said.

"I said he should never have been sent to this school. It is a curse." Adam said before he stormed out of the office.

Rachel sighed.

"Mum, I'm sorry. I…"

"Tommy, why? I know… you know that violence isn't the way." She said.

"I.. I wasn't thinking. I've… I've made everything worse."

"No, you haven't."

"Don't lie Mum. He isn't going to go to work and… He will blame you. I know the cycle."

Tom shared a look with Eddie.

"Rach?" Eddie paused to wait for her to turn to him. "What's going on? And don't you dare tell me nothing."

"Because you can still read me like a book." She gave a short laugh. "Not really the conditions that I wanted to be reunited with you with."

"What are they?"

"A failed marriage."

"Well, I'm now up here while Sophie is in London. Not really what you wanted when you let me go."

"No."

Tom smiled as they hugged and the relief was on both their faces. Tommy turned to him and he could tell that Rachel hadn't said everything yet.

"I'll tell you at some point," Tom whispered.

"Enjoying being back."

Rachel smiled at Tom as he entered the room.

"Eddie is right. They are definitely not the same as our students."

"He gets excited every time there is a fight."

"And to think, we used to pray that it didn't happen." She paused. "Tom?"

"Yeah?"

"I know it isn't the same but even now, do you still love Izzie?"

Tom smiled. "Of course. I miss her every day."

"Just…"

"You still love Eddie?"

"This week has just highlighted it for me. I've just never got over him."

"I think that he feels the same."

"I just have Adam."

"What has happened between the two of you?"

"Just constant arguing that has only been made worse by this place again."

"Rachel. If you aren't happy, then you need to tell him."

She shook her head. "I can't go through that again. I can't put Tommy through that again."

"Through what?"

"That Christmas."

Tom would have asked more questions but the bell rang and the students started to flow in. He hoped that he could get another quiet moment with her to ask them.

"Tom, you have to give me something. He keeps shrugging off my questions." Georgina said as he joined her and Eddie.

"Give you what?"

"More info on him and Rachel. Like why did they break up?"

"That isn't for me to say," Tom said as they turned into the office area.

He was surprised to see Tommy standing there, holding his bag close to his chest.

"Is your door open?" He said.

Eddie turned to Tom before nodding at Tommy. He could tell that Eddie was just as surprised as he was that Tommy was in so early, although Tom suspected that it has something to do with what must have happened at home.

"You are early," Eddie said when Tommy didn't say anything.

"I couldn't bear to be at home."

"Why?"

"I… I want to be able to protect her. I think I just made this worse." He paused for a moment. "Mum trusts both you, doesn't she?"

"I would hope so," Eddie answered for the both of them.

Tommy pulled open the zip on his bag and pulled out a book, letting his bag drop to the floor after it was out.

"I need you to look after this. I don't know exactly what Dad was going to do to it last night but he will certainly be looking for it this morning. It isn't safe at home any more."

Eddie took the book off of him.

"That isn't the scrapbook we gave her," Tom said.

"She absolutely loves it still. We went through it a couple of weeks ago. I don't think she would mind if you have a look."

Eddie gave Tom a look. As much as both of them wanted to, they weren't going to until Rachel was with them.

"Tommy, are you okay?" Eddie asked.

"I think you should be asking that question more to Mum."

Tommy picked up his bag and made his way out of the office. He stopped before he was fully out of the door.

"Just so you know, Dad knows about you now."

Tom sighed heavily as Tommy left. He turned to Eddie.

"Well if we thought that Adam wanted to knock you out just before Rachel came back here to teach, he will definitely want to now."

"What do you mean?"

"Tommy's middle name is Edward and you won't believe me, exactly as I didn't believe Rachel when she told me but Adam chose Edward. You mean so much to her that she can't even tell her husband of 12 years about you. She even spent the whole of the summer holidays telling Tommy about her deputy rather than call you by your name and that was when Adam wasn't about. You might try and push down your feelings but nothing has changed in the 13 years apart. Rachel needs us more than ever."

"And we can't afford to let her down this time."

"And we won't."

"Where is Philip tonight?" Rachel asked

"He was coming until a couple of days ago," Eddie said. "I texted him to ask what time he thought that he was going to be in Greenock and that it was still okay to stay at mine. I ended it by saying that I was looking forward to seeing him and that you probably were too. He texts back an hour later telling that work had messed up his shifts and he couldn't make it any more."

"Rachel?" Tom said.

She looked a little uncomfortable as she started to spin in the chair.

"You shouldn't have mentioned me." She said eventually.

"What do you mean?" Eddie said.

"I… I haven't seen him for six years. Not after that Christmas."

"You've mentioned that Christmas before," Tom said.

Rachel closed her eyes for a moment. "I knew Adam didn't want Philip there. It was Tommy's sixth Christmas and I… I would have started having Christmas the way that I did as a child. Just… Adam started his regiment Christmas. I invited Philip round, even though I knew Adam had basically told him that he wasn't welcomed. I needed him there. Adam… he is controlling."

"Which Christmas was this?" Eddie asked.

"Christmas 2016."

"Christ."

"What?"

"Philip near enough had a black eye that Christmas. I had walked out on Melissa, not Sophie as I constantly remind her, and I went back to get a few things. Melissa told me that Sophie was mine for a few hours before leaving and I took her to Philip's because they hadn't had the chance to see each other."

"What time was that?"

"About two."

"I… I wouldn't have wanted to see you but if only you were an hour earlier." Rachel said. "I tried to get Adam off Philip. I had gone upstairs to get Philip's present. I didn't want him opening it there because… Because I had started the plans for the first time I was going to leave Adam. I wanted Philip's help. I remember Adam pushing me off and slamming into the wall. I just about remember hearing Philip's footsteps as he ran up the stairs to get Tommy. I ended up with a broken wrist, three broken ribs, a black eye and a number of bruises. All because I run to danger rather than away from it."

"Is that what he said? Adam?" Kim said.

"Does it matter what he said. I went back for a few things and then Melissa showed up and I never told her about what happened or Tommy and she never said anything about you or Sophie and I was so close to telling her that I couldn't…" She paused. "She never asked the right questions and I never told her what I should have done. Adam came back and made it look like everything was perfect between us."

"That sister of yours," Eddie said. "And don't say anything that might make her look like a good person. She isn't worth it Rach."

Tom's head shot to the door as it opened and he was glad when it was Tommy and Dex standing there.

"Mum?" Tommy said.

Rachel started to wipe away the tears. "They know. About that Christmas."

"Good." He said as he walked over to his mother and hugged her.

"Rachel. You can't keep doing this." Tom said.

"I know."

"That is the worst it has got," Tommy said.

"But it isn't right," Eddie said. "Rach, how can we help?"

"We need somewhere to go. The main reason why I back out each time is…"

"Because you don't want a repeat," Tom said.

The door opened again and both Tom and Eddie jump from where they were sitting to stop Adam from coming in any further. Tom even pushed him back a little when he tried.

"You bloody told them."

"They're my friends Adam."

"And your ribs was an accident."

"You think that they are reacting like this over the two ribs that you broke a couple of weeks back? I told them about Christmas 2016."

"You bitch."

"You don't talk to her like that," Eddie said.

"And you. You know she has never said anything about you. Talk to Steph for five minutes and she happily told me about how you got her sister pregnant. I don't really think you are one to talk."

Tom stayed where he was. Rachel wasn't really his damsel in distress.

"Philip told me you know. That Rachel was getting married the night before it happened. Now that I have met you, I wish that I had come into school that morning and convinced her otherwise." Eddie smiled when Adam's face dropped. "How did I know that she would be at the school on the morning of her wedding? To begin with, the school needed her. After I left, she needed the school more than it needed her. I'm just unsure about how you convinced her to leave."

"Eddie." Rachel said.

Tom turned to her. It was obvious that it was a conversation for a different time.

"Is that how her deputies have always been? Lapdogs? Always at her beck and call?"

"Don't you dare. I know what you are implying."

"So?"

The punch came out of nowhere but just by the look on Rachel's face, this wasn't the first time Eddie had done something like that for her.

"I might not have been there for her when I should have been the first time around but I am there for her now. I don't want to see you are here again."

Tom took a step closer as Adam gained his composure.

"Fine. You can have her. You can struggle to make her happy."

Tom watched as Eddie shook his hand after Adam had gone.

"Well, I haven't done that for a while."

For Tom, it was the speed that Rachel was in front of Eddie and kissing him. He was glad for the small smile on Tommy's face.

Was everything with Adam over with? Far from it. But Tom knew that Rachel knew that she wasn't alone anymore and everything that she had to deal with, she knew that not only did she have Eddie but she had Tom's support as well. It made Tom happy that he had never moved on from Waterloo Road.

There was no other school he would rather teach at.