Thank you for the reviews.

If you haven't already noticed, Push My Luck is out and you have five chapters to catch up with... with a new chapter tomorrow as always.

Almost forgot that I could post this tonight...

Now back to the actual story and happiness all around for the next three chapters. I mean we have to balance out all the bad stuff that has happened. And maybe after what I did to Sophie on her 16th birthday, maybe it is time that I add a bit of happiness into her life... Yeah? (This is set after Giving Away)

Kerian

"Sophie, can I have a word?"

Sophie racked her brains for something that she might have done as to the reason why her dad was shouting for her down the corridor. It was only the end of the second period of the first day of the new school year. She couldn't be in trouble already, not after she had promised her dad and Rachel that she would keep her head down this year.

"Don't look so worried." Her dad said as she finally reached him. "This is Kerian. He is new and needs someone to help him out and, as you have taken similar subjects, I hope you don't mind helping him out."

She let out a sigh of relief while also glad that she hadn't called him dad. Although she was certain that Kerian, who was rather good looking, would find out sooner rather than later that her dad was the head and her step-mum was the deputy.

"No problem. Happy to help."

"Good. I will leave you two to it."

Sophie gave her dad a smile as he left before she turned to Kerian.

"Sophie, if you haven't already guessed."

"Kerian, if you didn't catch it." He said with the most brilliant Glaswegian accent.

"Let's have a look at your timetable. Dad might be right and we will probably be in the same classes."

"Dad?"

Sophie laughed at her mistake. There goes that secret. "Yeah. Stupid summer holidays. It always gets me out of the habit of calling him, Mr Lawson. My dad is the headteacher."

"Cool." He said as he handed her his timetable.

"Not really most people's reactions when they find out."

"Maybe I am not like most people."

She couldn't stop herself from smiling as she took a look at his timetable.

"You might as well stick with me. We have the exact same timetable."

"Cool."

"This way then." She said as she nodded her head down the corridor.

"Doesn't the deputy have the same surname as Mr Lawson?"

"Yeah, she is my new step-mum. They got married in the summer. Don't really know what to do with myself anymore. I have spent the last three years planning how Dad was going to propose and everything to do with the wedding."

"Big task."

"Yeah, but I loved every second of it and they are now happily together."

"Because of you?"

Sophie hesitated for a moment. "No. Not really. Their love story is a very long one. If anything, I am the reason that they didn't have their chance the first time around."

"Maybe sometime you could tell me that story."

She turned to him and she felt like her heart melted at the smile he was giving her. She knew that she had to concentrate this year and the last thing she needed was a repeat of what had happened the year before. But Sophie couldn't deny it. She was attracted to Kerian.

"I need you to do something for me."

"A hello would have been nice first."

"Hi, Tommy."

"Hi, Sophie."

"Right, I need you to do something for me."

Tommy sighed. "What do you want?"

"The new guy in my year. Kerian McCrimmon. I need you to keep your ear to the ground. Find out whether he is a nice guy and all that."

"Sophie…"

"I know what you are going to say."

"Why do you fall for them so easily?"

"Tommy, you haven't seen him yet. He is gorgeous and funny and kind."

"So you have actually spoken to him this time?"

"Dad called me over to ask whether I would show him around and we have the exact same classes."

"So where is he now?"

"In the loo. I told him I would meet him here. I wasn't going to hang around outside the boy's toilets. Not after last year."

"Is that him?"

Sophie turned to see who Tommy was talking about. She smiled and gave Kerian a small wave.

"I get what you mean."

"What?!"

"Sophie, I can be straight and say a guy is good looking."

"Just act natural." She said before she turned to Kerian. "Kerian, this is…"

"Tommy. Sophie has talked a lot about you." He said as he offered her cousin his hand.

"And I am sure I am going to hear a lot about you when we get home," Tommy said as he shook Kerian's hand.

Sophie scoffed, knowing that Tommy was only trying to wind her up. "Payback for the nights that I spent listening to you talking about Mia."

"You actively asked for some of them."

"Didn't mean you had to speak about her for hours."

"And after I said all those nice things about you at the wedding."

"You didn't have to."

"Are you two always like this?" Kerian asked.

"Pretty much. She is one of my best friends." Tommy said.

"While also being my step-brother."

"I wish I was like this with my brothers. All we do is fight."

"Not saying that other people don't, but I think we all value family a lot. It is only in the last few years that I have known what a real family is meant to be like."

"Have you eaten? Just I'm starving." Kerian said.

Sophie could tell from Tommy confused expression that that wasn't the question that he expected to hear from Kerian. Most people would have questioned why and Sophie knew that soon enough, Kerian would be told what had happened with Rachel and Adam. Probably the questions would come once he had heard Ewan called Tommy, Fleet.

It had been a few weeks since Kerian had started Waterloo Road and at the very least, Sophie was building a great friendship with him. They had so much in common yet they could still introduce each other to new films and music. It was the first time that she had brought him home, as a friend. Meaning it was also sort of the first time that he was meeting her dad and Rachel outside of school.

"We're home," Sophie shouted as they entered the door.

"Kitchen." Rachel said.

She nodded her head towards the kitchen and she was glad that Kerian followed her.

"Your father and Tommy have been on at me for weeks about having a takeaway and I have finally caved. We are all having pizza. Do you guys want one?"

"Oh, could I have the chicken one I like?" Sophie said.

"Sure. Kerian?"

He picked up the menu that Rachel handed to him.

"Umm, could I have the Mighty Meaty, please? I'll give you the money for it Mrs Lawson."

"Firstly, of course, you can." Rachel said. "Secondly, it is on us. And lastly, Kerian, you are in our home. It is Rachel and Eddie. But thank you for being considerate. Putting the order in now, if you want to go and chill. And you know the rules, Sophie."

"Of course Rach." Sophie turned to Kerian. "Come on."

"Actually, can I ask a couple of questions? Just I have been told some things and I don't want to be believing rumours or speculation or just outright lies." Kerian said.

"Fire away." Rachel said.

"Fleet?" He said eventually. "Ewan calls Tommy, Fleet because that was his surname.

"Not really a question."

"No, it's not. But he changed it to your maiden name after your ex-husband attacked you. Did that happen?"

"Unfortunately it did."

"Christ."

"Really the first time I was with Rach and Tommy. We had briefly met before but I was sort of getting to know them at the same time as looking after them." Sophie added.

"And you two are auntie and niece?" Kerian asked.

"Part of her and Dad's weird love story."

"I didn't actually know what I was expecting."

"Kerian, there are many things that you are going to hear about us. Like my past and Sophie being my niece and step-daughter and everything that happened with Adam. I am just grateful that you feel like you can ask the questions that most people wouldn't want to ask." Rachel said.

"Just as long as you don't mind answering them."

"As you said, it is better to ask than to believe rumours or speculation."

"Tommy, can I have a word mate?"

He nodded at Kerian as he said to his friends that he would catch them up. There was only one problem that Tommy had with Kerian and that was he was a genuinely nice guy that hadn't yet asked his cousin out. He knew that he shouldn't be matchmaking Sophie but Kerian was good for her.

"Sophie," Kerian said as they started to walk.

"What about her?" Tommy asked.

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way but I like her. Like really like her."

"I'm so glad that you said that last bit."

"Why?"

"Because I think she really likes you as well."

"Just… People have been talking to me again and they mentioned something about her 16th birthday party."

"What about it?"

"That you are rather protective over her." Kerian paused. "Look I don't want to know because I don't like the parts that I have heard already. I just want to make sure that you were okay before I asked her out properly."

"I am protective over her. Mainly because of Mum. But bearing in mind you basically spent the Christmas holidays around ours and survived the madness that is our Boxing Day when Mia didn't, I don't think that anyone has a problem with you. Just ask her."

"Is this where you say if I don't ask her out soon, you are going to ask her for me?"

"Kerian, just go and do it. You make her happy and that is all I want for my cousin."

"Thanks, Tommy."

"I know Mum has already said something similar, but the fact that you can talk to us openly, like we do, is refreshing."

"I am like it with my mum. My brothers don't like to speak about half the things I talk with my mum about but it is just common decency isn't it? And I am sure I will be told when I've overstepped the mark."

"Which I am sure you won't do."

"I just don't want to be stepping on anyone's toes."

"You aren't. Ask her out before I stage an intervention."

"Okay. Point taken. I'll see you later."

"See you later."

Tommy sighed as he stopped walking and watched Kerian walk off. He hoped that Kerian was going to do what he said. He could just imagine how happy it would make Sophie.

"What did he want?" Mia said as she took a hold of Tommy's arm

"He wanted to know whether he was reading Sophie right. I believe he is going to ask her out."

"Good, then she will stop ranting to you."

"Mia."

"She takes up way too much of your time."

"She is my cousin."

"I don't speak that much to my cousins."

"So you do have a problem with Sophie?"

"Tom, you are with me. Not her."

"Tommy."

"What?"

"My mum named me Tommy, and I never have and never will be Tom."

"Whatever. Sophie needs to latch onto someone else." She said before she walked off.

He sighed again before the bell rang. For him, there always seemed to be a problem and for once, it wasn't Sophie that he knew he had to worry about. It was Mia and the problem that he had was that he could see his father's jealous nature in her. Maybe when it came to his love life, he wasn't going to be like his father but his mother.

"Tommy."

He looked up from his laptop to see Sophie looking a little apprehensive.

"Did he ask you?"

"Of course. But that isn't why I am here."

"Mia?"

"Rumour is you are planning on breaking up with her."

"How do these rumours spread?"

"Someone overheard her call you Tom."

"And that is why there is a rumour going around that I am planning on breaking up with her."

"I know she doesn't like me."

He sighed. "The conversation just reminded me of one that happened between Mum and Dad. Maybe I've been so worried about not being my father's son that I have ended up being my mum. She is extremely jealous of our relationship. And if she can't see the reasons for our amazing relationship and why we are so close, then maybe she isn't a good match."

"Maybe just see how it goes. Maybe we with me being a lot more 'settled' as people like to call it, maybe she will see that there is no reason to be jealous."

"I just don't want us to drift apart because of her."

"Tommy. We are family. I don't think we will ever truly drift apart."

"So Kieran?" He said as she sat on his bed.