Thank you for the reviews

I hated writing this chapter and there is still a part where I want to change it... but it seems... somewhat appropriate at the same time...

Have I already apologised for Danny Sutton and the things that come out of his mouth? You might want a sick bucket.

Man to Man

Eddie had been deep in thought. He was trying to work out what he was going to do or get Rachel for the morning. He had already sent her home, telling her that he would lock up for her, knowing that she hadn't had the best of days mentally. He did wish to be with her but he knew that, especially to begin with, they would still need their own space. Plus he, then, didn't have to try and hide what he was researching away from her.

His thoughts were on flowers, knowing that it had been a week since he last brought her any. He did mean it when he said not to tell Alison. He had never really gone to this much effort for her or for anyone that he had dated in the past. But they all didn't have the same insecurities that Rachel had.

It was only when Eddie had almost reached his car that he noticed the figure leaning against it. Someone that he had, optimistically, hoped he would never see again.

"Eddie, mate," Danny said as he pushed himself off Eddie's car.

"You are banned."

"Oh, I just thought that was when her highness was here."

"What do you want?"

"Come on mate. I'm getting bored with the same questions."

"Okay then. The one that Rachel doesn't want to ask. Why now?"

He hesitated for a moment. "Maybe it has been too long without the slut. I mean, that was what she was. She might tell you that she never enjoyed it but trust me, I think that she was more than happy to be… put into some of the situations that I put her in. One night, in particular, comes to mind. It was… Martin and Jim. Her sandwiched between them. She did quite well that night. In terms of money… and their pleasure."

Eddie nodded. It was the only thing he thought about doing because he was equally trying not to hit him and not trying to picture Rachel in that situation.

"You know it, Eddie. Once a slut, always a slut. I can only imagine the dirty little things that she has done for you."

"She hasn't done anything that she didn't want to do. Actually stopped her from doing a few things."

"Then I think you need checking. Are you in the right mind? A beautiful woman like that. Please say that sometimes she still wears bright red lipstick. Honestly mate, watching her… I know, I'm her cousin but she was amazing and what she could do with her mouth. Perfect wank material."

It was then that Eddie realised that he was just trying to get a reaction out of him. He tried to hide his anger, which wasn't so difficult because he found that he had this need to throw up. Although it made him worry. If Danny was prepared to say that, and he wouldn't put it past him actually doing that, then what else had he done to Rachel other than just slapping her around a bit? Eddie found himself not wanting to know and not really wanting to think about it either.

Although, looking at the look on Danny's face, Eddie thought that he thought he had him. Which made it all seem worse.

"Look, man to man, you know Mandy isn't worth it. She is a lot of work. It is going to take a lot to make her happy. She'll get bored at some stage. Plus she has always had ideas away above her station. She knows, deep down where she belongs."

"You're right. She does. She belongs to be Rachel. She belongs to be a headteacher. She belongs, for the moment, to be the head of this school. She did your bidding when she had to. She isn't going to do it now."

Eddie didn't like the way that Danny took a step closer. The distance was stopping him from punching the man's lights out.

"You didn't answer me last time. Did you take my advice?"

"No, I didn't. And I'm not going to."

"Shame really. I would give it a go. The way she used to moan and scream when it was rough. Oh, it would send any man over the edge."

Eddie was glad when he turned on his heel and left without another word. It meant that he didn't have to seriously harm Danny but it also gave him the chance to swallow his anger and anything else that was threatening to come out of him. He took a moment, throwing his bag at the wall, to just do something. If anything, he would have hit the wall as well but he knew that, at best, he would scuff his hand up and have to explain to Rachel in the morning what happened when she asked or, at worst, break his hand and have to explain to Rachel in the morning what happened when she asked. Basically, he didn't want to do anything stupid that would lead to Rachel finding out about his little conversation with Danny.

Maybe he needed to buy a punch bag. Just until Danny had gone for good.

For Rachel's and his own sanity, he felt like him thinking over Danny's words was the worst idea in the world. But he couldn't get them out of his mind and, other than downing a bottle of whiskey, Eddie didn't think that would be able to do anything. In fact, downing a bottle of whiskey would probably only give him the unnatural confidence to do something about it, probably in the form of going to confront Danny.

He slammed down the lid of his laptop with a growl. He knew what Rachel would say if she could see him. She would tell him that he didn't have to get involved in her messy life and he knew that she had every reason to say that to him. But he felt like he was in too deep now. So deep that he was certain that he was one of the things stopping her from going through another relapse. He couldn't take away the support that he had given her now. Not that he wanted to.

He knew how scared Rachel was of Danny. He knew that, other than forcing her to do what she did, that he must have swayed her to do other things as well. He did know what Danny was on about with her red lipstick but he definitely preferred it when her lips were curled up to a smile, preferable at him, than what Danny was saying. One of the things that he wouldn't expect from a woman anyway and definitely blackmarked as foreplay for him and Rachel.

Trying to move his thoughts on, his phone rang. He picked it up with a groan, knowing that he thought he needed to be somewhere but not remembering where.

"Charlie."

"Eddie, where the hell are you? It is already half-time."

"Sorry, just forgot about it."

"You haven't missed the match because of that new bird."

"Sort of."

"Mate. I think you need to sort yourself out."

"You are still at the council, aren't you?" Eddie said before he could stop himself.

"Yeah."

"Get me a beer in and I'll buy you the rest for the night. Just… I think there might be something wrong with Hordley and Sutton. You know, the builders that are building the training centre."

"Do you know what mate? You aren't the first person to say that."

"What do you know?" He said as he grabbed his coat to make his way down to the pub.

"I want to know what you know first." Charlie paused. "All I am going to say is that… we've had a few reports about Danny Sutton. Not really heard a lot about Stuart Hordley."

"I wouldn't like to say I really know Stuart. It is more Danny."

"What about him?"

He dropped the phone from his ear and looked left and right before he crossed the road. Once he was safely across he brought the phone back to his ear.

"Rachel is scared of him."

"Her and four other people that have come forward. How much do you know?"

"Enough to want to punch him."

"Willing to share it all?"

"Not all of it but I am sure enough to add to your pile."

"There was going to be an investigation. Depends on the allegation you are going to put forward."

"Then give me five and I will be with you."

Eddie hung up, hoping that this would help but also feeling like it might have been the worst idea that he'd ever had.

He had wondered whether he should have rung Rachel and he also wondered whether he should tell her about what he had done but, she had rang him and by how happy she sounded on the phone, he couldn't ruin her good mood.

"Was it the football tonight?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah. Nil, nil. Rubbish game."

"Don't know a lot about football."

"I'll have to teach you."

"Sally has multiple times." She paused. "Trouble with being in a rather male-dominated job. She doesn't follow a club per se but she makes sure that she watches the games of certain teams, mainly because they are big in the station. I mean here, it is either city or united."

"You just never got into it."

"I watch the world cup."

"I suppose that is good enough. But I don't think you rang to talk about football."

"No. I think they want me out of the house at the weekend. It was their anniversary today. Of them meeting. I think they want to… celebrate."

"Right." He said with a laugh.

"Although I don't blame them."

"So you are inviting yourself to mine for the weekend?"

"I thought you wouldn't mind."

"Don't mind at all."

"Good. Because I might need to give you back this shirt. It has stopped smelling of you."

"Which shirt?"

"The light blue one. I may have hidden it from you the last time you were here."

"You sneaky so and so."

"Been wearing it in bed for the last two weeks. Surprised it has lasted as long as it has done."

"Just my shirt?"

"Sorry."

"Have you been wearing just my shirt to bed?"

"Yes."

"Must fall you about your mid-thigh."

"Mr Lawson, are you trying to picture me?"

"Maybe."

"I can guess that you only have your boxers on."

"Well… it is starting to get a little warm for pyjamas."

"Are we… Are we actually going to do this?"

"Do what?"

"Have phone sex."

It stopped Eddie for a moment. "I… Well…"

"Mr Lawson. I haven't got you all hot and bothered."

"You, Miss Mason, are a tease."

"And you love it."

He swallowed. "That… I do. I already struggle to… have any professional thoughts about you."

"Go on then. Tell me about one of your unprofessional thoughts about me today and I'll let you know whether it is a possibility or not."

He couldn't stop himself from swallowing again before he started to describe one of the thoughts he had when they were alone in her office. A thought that he'd had many times over. The thing it did do was, it made him forget about what Danny had said to him and it also made him forget the guilt he had about telling Charlie what he did.