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Michael is a man with a plan, but is Eddie going to allow him to do it?

I Have A Plan, But You Aren't Going To Like It

"I have a plan, but you aren't going to like it," Michael said.

Eddie didn't know why he said that. Because Eddie now instantly hated the plan before Michael had even said what it was. Although, Michael could be wrong. He might like it.

"What is the plan?"

"Well, I haven't been introduced to Adam. In all honesty, the only people in this room that haven't has to be me, Jacob and Sally. And maybe we can use that to our advantage. I know Auntie Sally can't do anything because she is the police and a good cop. Jacob is way too young to get involved. So why don't I try and follow him or something? He won't know who I am."

Eddie nodded. "You are right. I am not going to like it."

"He does have a point," Sally said.

"Sally, I am not putting my son at risk."

"And he picks things up quickly, I can teach him how to do it covertly."

"Dad?" Michael said.

"What?"

"In all honesty, Mum slightly gave me the idea. I want to do more to help and other than trying to find Rachel, then there isn't much more that I can do. The fact that Adam hasn't been back must show that he does have something to do with it."

"Smart kid," Danny said.

"You can shut it," Eddie said as he turned towards Danny.

"Dad," Michael said and waited for Eddie to be looking at him before he continued. "Without Rachel, I would never have known you. She got you back in touch with Mum and I know it wasn't great to begin with but I got to know my dad for who you actually are rather than the blackmarked version Mum was going to give me." He paused. "But think what else I would have missed out on if she didn't, if she listened to you and dropped it.

"I wouldn't have known Kiera. I definitely wouldn't have the vocabulary I have and, maybe, I would have been more into my football than getting my head in a book. I wouldn't have spent all those days reading to Rachel's stomach and then to Kiera and then to Jacob as well. I wouldn't have jumped the reading levels that I did. Mum wouldn't have got told off because they thought that she was pushing me too hard. I definitely don't think that I would be thinking about doing English at university. I wouldn't have known you or Rachel or Kiera or Jacob. I wouldn't have known Auntie Jane or Auntie Sally. I have a lot to thank Rachel for and I know if it was the other way around, she would be out there, every night, trying to find me. So let me do this Dad, because I could never repay her for what she has done for me."

Eddie could feel everyone's gaze on him and he knew that he had to say something. What he hated was how right Michael was and the fact that if it was a simple missing person's case, then they would all be out all the time looking for her. But Michael did have a point. They were all certain that Adam now had Rachel. And the only way to find her would be to find out where Adam had her.

"The moment you get into trouble, I want it stopped."

Michael smiled at him. "Don't worry Dad, I will."

Eddie couldn't be there, listening to Sally telling Michael everything that he had to do and how she was going to keep him safe. He slightly hated himself for agreeing to it.

"Want one?" Danny said as he sat down next to him, offering him a cigarette.

"No."

Part of him wished that Danny wouldn't smoke next to him but he knew that Danny was probably there for a reason. So he just had to suck up the fact that Danny was smoking next to him.

"He's a smart kid."

"I thought I told you to shut it."

Danny chuckled. "How long are you going to hate me for?"

"You know… I blamed myself for the fire. I blamed it on the fact that I told a friend at the council that it all happened. It took me months to try and get over it and to accept that no matter what I did, that is what you were going to try and do. I was waiting for Rachel to realise who had caused what happened to happen. For the reason she was scarred. I thought we were both going to get over it. And then Melissa threw herself at me. I had been waiting for her to push me away and then it felt like the worst thing in the world happened." Eddie huffed. "And you taking Rachel away from me hurt just as much as that did."

Danny took a couple of drags on his cigarette. "Honestly, I didn't think that Melissa was that desperate."

"So what did you offer her?"

"Sorry?"

"All of the other boyfriends? You told me, yourself, that you told Melissa to tell then about Rachel's past. You must have offered her something. She doesn't despise her sister that much to do it without something in return."

"I do think you don't know Melissa that well. She was the golden girl. The favourite. A daddy's girl. When I left, I couldn't protect her from the family any longer. When Uncle Dave died, Auntie Sarah couldn't protect her from the family. She went from getting away with murder to getting away with nothing. She blamed Rachel for it and she has been blaming all her problems since on Rachel. I don't think that Melissa did want to be reunited with Rachel."

"You made her?"

"In return, I would put her up. Buy her a nice house that she would never appreciate. Give her enough money so she didn't have to work a day in her life. It was just pure luck that she was in the Manchester area when Rachel started at Waterloo Road. Do you know about Melissa's bigamy?"

"Philip mentioned it to Rachel. Whether Rachel knows more, I don't know."

"I wasn't using that against her. I meant what I said. She needed to get away from her first husband. He would have ended up killing her if she had stayed. I know she has done some shit things since, but no one deserves to be killed by their spouse. Philip's dad threw them out when he found out. She came to me, crying about it. Then she told me that she had never filed for a divorce against the… dickhead. I never found out his name." Danny sighed. "She has always been a crap mum. And I could have been fucking awful to Philip. I didn't want a fucking six-month-old. But until Rachel met her nephew, I was as nice as I could be. He doesn't like me but… I am weirdly fond of the kid. Maybe because he ended up more like Rachel than Melissa. Where is the big man?"

"Philip is in Cheltenham. He did ring when he found out, saying that he was coming home but Jane told him to stay put and if anything happened then she would let him know. Although I doubt she has said that you are in the picture."

"He would definitely be back home then."

Eddie turned and looked at Danny. "What made you stop calling Rachel, Mandy?"

"You as well. Can't work it out." He snubbed out the cigarette against the patio. "She must do it to you. The gentleness of her skin as she cups your cheek. Honestly, you can feel it better when there is a bit of stubble. She did that to me while she was telling me that… we could have never raised that child. But I should have never taken it off her in the way that I did. I didn't realise it was mine. Apparently, they would be 31 now. Didn't realise I was that fucking old."

"I'll agree to that."

"I don't like you. You are a fucking pain in the backside. But Eddie, you do treat her right. Fuck me, you are some fucking great bloke to stay by her side after all you know. I hope you know how fucking lucky you are to be in the position that you are. To be able to call her your wife and the mother to your children. It seems like there is a fuck load of people that would love to be where you are."

"And she said that marrying me was a privilege. I do think it was the other way around."

"Don't worry. We will find her. And I think that it is time I started to do the right thing."

Eddie would have asked more but Danny had left him before he could really ask what Danny meant by that.