Thank you for the reviews.

I suppose the question is, will someone talk Rachel out of resigning?

Also, I don't think I can apologise enough for the things that come out of Danny Sutton's mouth. But sorry for the crudeness in this chapter (those that follow me on twitter have already had a sneak peek of his crudeness in this chapter)

…Trouble Follows

Rachel knew that Eddie knew. What she didn't know yet was whether he was angry at her for thinking about resigning or that it was because she hadn't discussed it with him. With the governor's AGM, she felt like there was no better time to give over the carefully constructed letter that she had been writing over the last couple of weeks. It wasn't what she wanted to do but she had to. For the school and her own sanity.

"So when were you going to tell me?" He said.

"Eddie…"

"No Rachel. Jane only called me to see what my take on it was. She thought that at the very least you would have told me. What? Was I going to find out at the same time as everyone else?"

"You were going to find out at the same time as the governors. I owed that to you."

"You can't leave."

"Why not Eddie? How much worse do things have to get before you and Jane realise that this is all happening because of me? I am the problem. I am the reason we have Stuart and Danny sniffing about. I am the reason they won that contract. I am the reason why… When Danny is involved, trouble follows. Maybe I don't want to put that level of trouble on the school."

"What level of trouble?"

"Do you not think he would do it again? Groom a load of girls and make them do his bidding. Because you don't know how charismatic he can be when he wants to be. So… so many times he made me believe that he did care about me. I cannot put the girls in the school at risk and the boys…" She paused as she tried to think of the best way to put it. "The boys… they will be worse. And I've given him access to the school."

"Then you need to get him out. He needs to leave. Not you."

"He won't go quietly. Then it will come out that he is my cousin and then my behaviour at the LEA meeting will be questioned and so will my professional judgement. In the end Eddie, it all comes back to me and that is why it isn't up to me to show what a nasty piece of work my cousin is." She paused. "I'll recommend you for the role."

"What if I don't want it?"

"Eddie."

"Rachel. This school needs stability. You have proved that, even if you decided to change everything on your first day. The school doesn't need its third headteacher in a year. This school is working under your leadership. You can't leave. You owe it to the kids."

She hated him for that. Bringing the students into their argument. Good move by him and she had to agree with him. It was the reason she got her first head teaching role. Because she had felt like the students had been through enough when the previous, elderly, headteacher had a heart attack in the middle of an assembly. She had quickly risen up the ranks. It was why she had only been teaching for five years when she took on her first deputyship and seven when she took on her first headship. Headteacher at 31 was a shock to most people. At first, it was a shock. Then they started working with her and they soon found out the reason why.

She didn't think that the distraction that Tom and Steph were going to give them was going to help her in any way. Even more so when they raised their concerns over Wilson and Janeece. She could feel herself getting paler and it had to be Steph to confirm her greatest fear.

"You know, he is quite friendly with one of the builder guys. Not the ground workers. The top-dogs."

"What Stuart?" Eddie said.

"No. The other one. Danny, the silver fox. Rather handsome isn't he? Hey Rachel."

She gently placed herself into her chair, realising now where she had seen Wilson before. Or where she had seen Martin before. Part of her wanted to go and be sick. The other half wanted to pick up the phone straight away and call the police. Poor Janeece.

"Are they still on school property?" She asked.

"I can go and have a look," Steph said.

"And Tom, call the agency. I want Wilson Bigham's details faxed over straight away. If they aren't here, talk to Chlo and Maxine. They must know something, mustn't they?"

Tom and Steph left to do what they had been asked to do and she knew that Eddie was going to say something soon enough.

"Rachel…"

"I already know he isn't Wilson Bigham."

"What?"

"I thought I recognised him on his first day but… I am certain that his name is Martin and I am certain that he is one of Danny's little crew. This is what I am talking about Eddie. What have I done?"

"You've done…"

"Nothing wrong. Other than sitting on the fact that I've been trying to place where I knew Wilson from and never did anything about it. That is the moment I should have had his details faxed over."

"You were distracted by Stuart that day."

"And I know Danny better. It is why I need to go."

"And let him win? Because that is what he will think." He sighed as he walked closer to her desk. "Rachel, I know he scares you and I know that you are scared about what he could do but… you can't go. For the reasons that I have already stated. You are good for this school and… the reason I wouldn't take the headship here would be for the pure fact that I don't think I would want to stay here if you left."

She looked up at him properly, wondering whether he was joking or not.

"Eddie, you can't mean that."

"I can Rachel. We are a team. We work well together. Forget what is happening personally between us. Professionally, we work so well. This school is on the up because of you but I would also like to think I've played a role in that as well. We are leading this school in the right direction. And I'm sorry but I can't allow you to throw that away."

Again, she hated him for that. She hadn't really thought about her relationship with Eddie. She knew that they probably would have been able to maintain it if they were in the same area. But Rachel had plans to get away again. Maybe if she went to the top of Scotland, Danny would never find her again.

But she knew that she couldn't leave Eddie. Not when he seemed to be taking everything in his stride. But she wanted to leave the school to him.

"I do think that what is happening between us personally is helping that."

"Then, just this once, don't let him win."

She had to admit that he was clever to word it that way. It was the only reason she believed that it was why he was changing her mind.

Tom returned with a piece of paper, which confirmed her greatest fear. He told them that Steph couldn't find either of them before he left saying that he would see how Steph was getting on with Chlo and Maxine. She handed the paper over to Eddie and watched his face drop as she waited for someone to pick up her call. He obviously knew that she was already blaming herself.

And it was her fault. Because Danny was only around because of her.

"I'm guessing that there isn't a lot that I can say," Eddie said.

"You can try. I'm still going to blame myself."

"So who was he? Martin?"

"Meet him a couple of times. Had sex with him a couple of times. He… was sort of part of Danny's inner circle. Some of… his girls, he would only… allow to certain people. That is what created his boys."

"I don't want to ask the question."

"Yes. I was one of Danny's girls." She paused. "And unfortunately, his favourite. Didn't mean that he treated me any better."

Rachel could tell that he was getting agitated. She felt like it was because of what they were talking about and his weird protective side coming out. But when his attention seemed to be on something out of the window. She pushed herself off the sofa and stood next to him, seeing what he was seeing. She could feel that Eddie had his fist clenched and part of her wondered where the fight came from as she made her way out of her office and down the stairs, making her way to the car park. Eddie obviously wasn't far behind her but there was enough distance between them that meant that Rachel met Danny first, even though she was sure that Eddie wanted to be in front of her.

"How dare you!" She shouted, glad that no one was about to hear what was going to be said.

"So you do remember Martin? Because he certainly remembers you." Danny paused. "Actually he remembers you very well. He hoped that I could have a word. Maybe talk you into getting back in the game."

Rachel managed to grab Eddie's arm as he lurched forward. As much as she wanted him to punch Danny's lights out, she wasn't certain that now was the moment.

"What do you want Danny?"

"Exactly that Mandy. Come on you know this isn't you. The posh car with the posh job." His eyes flicked to Eddie. "Mate, did you take my advice?"

"Do you know what he has done with Janeece?" She said, to change the subject.

"How should I know? I don't control him. You know that I would never control my boys. My girls on the other hand… that is a totally different story."

"I'm not under your control anymore."

She wouldn't like to say that she totally believed her own words but she definitely didn't when Danny started to laugh and shake his head.

"Sure about that Mandy?"

Her hand dropped from Eddie's arm and she knew that they both knew that she had deflated. That whatever fight she had when she first confronted Danny had gone and she knew that he would play on that.

"Come on Mandy. You know he will get bored with you in the end. They all do, don't they? Because you've always just been a good shag. Someone that they like to use and then dump. No one could or would love you. Not like I do."

Her vision and hearing unfocused so much that she didn't notice that Eddie had punched him or pushed Danny off school property.

No one could or would love you.

She wanted to scream at him that she knew. She knew that she would always fall in love with them and they would never fall in love with her. That it was the reason that she'd had her heart broken so many times. It was the reason she was still holding Eddie at arm's length.

She was only made aware of what had happened when Eddie cupped her face. She thought that he might have kissed her, but instead, he pulled her into a hug that she didn't realise that she needed so much. The problem she had was that she knew it was only a matter of time before she would have to explain everything that Danny had done to her and she didn't think that either of them was ready for that.