Here we are. Back with another fic and my imagination.

So this started out as a small 25 chapter story. Just going through the episodes from Series 3 Episode 7 to Series 4 Episode 10. Mainly because there were quite a few things that I thought I could either write about or change (yes, like I said on Twitter, a reoccurring theme here is going to be putting right what the writers did wrong. You can thank me later). But it has now changed to a 31 chapter story... and it has been painful to watch from Series 4 Episode 1 to Episode 7. Honestly, horrific. You lot will be glad of a few of the changes I have made.

For the beginning here, it is mainly going to be like extra chapters to the first couple of episodes or slight changes to the way episodes ended. You'll catch my drift with this chapter and hopefully the rest of them as well.

So please enjoy.

Series 3 Episode 7

Rachel knew she had some making up to do. Eddie was sort of right when he questioned everything that she was doing. She was changing a lot in a small amount of time but she was only doing it so that Waterloo Road had a future.

His ego had obviously been hurt. She had heard him question Ria, about Nigel giving him the role of Acting Head and he had obvious hung on to that by the things that were in her office.

The only problem was that Eddie was looking too short term. Everything that she was doing was for the long term benefit of the school. Obviously she wasn't going to take the core subjects out of the curriculum. She couldn't do that and she wouldn't be a teacher without them. But she wanted to be able to offer more to the students that it didn't work for. School was meant to be a place where they come to learn. Why bore them to death with subjects they have no interest in when they could put their minds to better use?

Obviously the winner of her little experiment wasn't who she was targeting. Not by a long shot. Brett Aspinall would leave Waterloo Road with a lot more than most of the other students. But it was students like Maxine and Janeece, who really got on board with the idea, that she wanted to inspire. There were quite a few good ideas floating around.

She needed Eddie's support because the staff trusted him and he would be more likely to change their minds about what she was trying to do.

She would just have to bite the bullet and maybe eat a little humble pie in the process.

"Look before Steph turns up, I want to apologise. I get what you mean with the whole 'bomb up the backside' stuff. I also get that you probably upset that I was shipped in. You were obviously looking forward to putting your own stamp on the old place." Rachel said.

It obviously wasn't what Eddie expected from her.

"Right."

"I am looking forward to working with you. Ria did speak highly of you. I'm not saying that I am always going to agree with everything that you say but I am sure you have some good ideas. Like the trip next week. I can see what you are trying to do, I just don't think it will work in that way."

"Well, expect the same back. I have been here since September. I do know quite a few of the kids and their backgrounds. Like yesterday with Mika. I wasn't trying to undermine you, I just knew her reasons for drinking a whole bottle of vodka."

"Then maybe you can catch me up. Get me up to speed. Because it seems like you know the kids better than Steph."

"Steph's heart is usually in the right place."

"I'm not saying that. But from what I have heard, Mika may not have drunk that bottle of vodka if Steph had taken five minutes to listen to her."

"And I also believe her when she said that Jack didn't really outline her responsibilities. By the sounds of things, she was the only one to go for the job."

"Then that is where we need to support her. As I said yesterday, that letter was there to warn as well as put in writing that I am going to support her. How are we going to get this school out of trouble when the senior management team aren't all working towards the same goals."

"And as I said yesterday, I hope you know what you are doing."

"Trust me, Eddie. Even if I am only here until the end of next term, this place will not be the same by the time I leave. And that is a promise."

There was a hint of a smile on his lips. She didn't know whether to take it as a good sign or not. She usually felt like she could read people really well. But not Eddie for some reason. He was a little harder to read.

"Fine. I have a free period after break. Maybe you could take me through your grand plans again."

"Does that mean you might actually listen to me when I explain them again?"

"Don't push it."

She pushed her lips together to stop herself from smiling as Steph finally joined them, five minutes late but Rachel wasn't going to bring that up now. There was no point in berating her any more than she had already done. She might just have to bite her tongue for the moment. Although she felt like she was close to getting Eddie's support. Something that she knew that she would have to rely on at times.

"Go on then. Who are these boys that you want to turn around?" Rachel said.

"Bolton Smilie and his little gang."

"Right. What's the history?"

"They were involved in a fight club. We only found out about it when Paul wanted to join because his uncle was… their family have a history of mental illness. His mother took her own life and his uncle wasn't coping. Paul wanted to be able to stand up to him and asked Bolton for help."

"I guess you have been keeping an eye on Paul since."

"Naturally."

"Good. Bolton?"

"Candice, his mum, works in the canteen. He hates to disappoint her but he keeps doing so. A number of ASBOs. Basically, if he doesn't change, he will end up in prison for good."

"So boys with potential, they just plan on wasting it."

"We just need to focus them."

"Which we will be able to do once we get Business and Enterprise College status."

"You said that a lot yesterday. What do you actually mean by it?"

"It will mean that we can offer vocational courses. You focus in on Travel and Tourism yesterday. There is more to it than just carrying a rucksack. Whether the kids want to go on a gap year or want a career as a travel agent, it helps to offer them an insight and it better prepares them for the outside world. A handful of the sixth form will go to university. It is better to send the rest of them off with English, Maths and a vocational course than just English and Maths. With the right tools, these kids could walk into a job rather than ending up causing trouble."

"Seems like you have it all planned out."

She leant back in her chair before she took in Eddie. She could tell that he was still sceptical but she could admit that would probably be the way that she was if someone new came into her school and tried to tell them how to do their job.

"Okay." He said as he threw the booklet onto her desk. "You have my support. And I suppose I should apologise for my behaviour as well yesterday."

"I get it. You thought you had the job for me to come in and take it from you. I think I would have been just as unpleasant if it was the other way round."

"Well, it wasn't exactly welcoming."

"You still give me six months, don't you?"

"How about we see how the next five weeks go? Let's get this stupid Business and Enterprise College status and then we will see where we are."

"Fine. I am looking forward to working with you. Whether it is for the short or long term."

He gave her a small smile which she knew was a start. Did he trust her? Probably not. But this was only the start of their working relationship and she knew that once the initial shock of everything had died down, they would make a great team. She could just tell that they could build something special together at Waterloo Road. She just had to ride out the next couple of weeks.