Thank you for the reviews.

Oh, don't be concerned now. For the most part, everything is okay at the moment. It is things that happen in this chapter that maybe you should be concerned about.

This Isn't What I Meant

When Rachel sent the text to Alison to talk, she didn't think that the other woman would have even replied to her. She knew that if she was going to help solve this, then she needed to work on Alison for a bit to make her understand why she contacted her before Rachel would have to work on Eddie. If anything, she hoped that her incredibly bright daughter had used her initiative and was already working on Eddie without her having to ask.

"When we spoke, this isn't what I meant." Rachel said as Alison joined her in the cafe.

"What did you mean then?"

"Look, I get that you are still angry. I get that you and Eddie didn't leave things in the best way. But this isn't the way to do things. This isn't whether Eddie should be a father to Michael. It is whether Michael should have his father."

"Do you have kids?"

Rachel realised that she would look like a hypocrite if she was childless, lecturing a mother. Which is why she was glad for her two. Because it didn't make her seem like a hypocrite talking about how she would have liked to be treated by her parents.

"Two." Rachel paused. "Twins actually. Non-identical."

"Really?"

"James and Amelia."

"And their father? Is he on the scene?"

"What are you insinuating?"

"Why did you call on Eddie's behalf? Which one were you?"

"I'm sorry?" Rachel said before she realised what Alison was going to say next.

"Are you her? Are you the prostitute?"

Rachel swallowed. "He did mention that you knew."

"You are?!"

"Alison, I am not proud of what I did back then. But I have a feeling that you fell for his charm and his gentlemanly ways as I did."

"He never got over you, you know," Alison said, sounding very bitter. "That magical one night. It was his friends that told me about you. They thought that he had told me but he hadn't. Apparently, he was adamant that he was not going to… get with one to end up with one."

"And he had no idea the club he had walked into and I was going to tell him before he did talk to someone that would have taken advantage of him."

"Then he hit you with the charm?"

Rachel felt herself sit up a little straighter, hoping that her argument would work on Alison as well. "I call it my night of normal. As if I was a normal girl being picked up by a normal guy, having a normal one nightstand. And it is why I have never been able to forget about him either."

"How old are your two?"

"17." Rachel said. "And before you ask the next question, Eddie is currently getting to know three children. James and Amelia are his because of our one night."

She knew that she had to let Alison process the news. Because not only was she now sitting across from a woman that her ex-husband had a night (before they met and were married) with and never got over, but that he had another set of twins because of that night. Rachel could only imagine that it was an extremely bitter pill to swallow.

"Just talk to Eddie, please." Rachel said. "He missed out on James and Amelia's childhood. I don't think he should miss out on Michael's as well. I get that things aren't going to be easy. But I will give James and Amelia the choice if they want Eddie to be in their lives or not. Michael is young enough that he doesn't really have to make that choice. Trust me, you don't want him turning around to you at the age of seven, questioning everything, for Michael to tell you that he is going to look after you because there isn't anyone else. I hate the trouble that James has gotten into because he decided that he needed to be the man of the family."

It was clear that they were talking mother to mother, that Rachel could talk about James and Alison could potentially see Michael turning out that way. Not that Rachel would want Michael to be filled with the same anger that James was. But then again, that was her fault.

Rachel had almost thought that she wasn't going to get Eddie back onboard but she couldn't stop herself from smiling as she watched James and Amelia with Michael. She did have to swallow the lump in her throat, knowing that this could have all happened before. But she knew that there was always a power in being able to look towards the future. And she hoped that there was a future with Eddie, James, Amelia and Michael, all knowing each other and getting on.

"Your two?" Alison said next to her.

"Yes."

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about them getting on."

"I suppose we don't." She turned her attention to Eddie. "Eddie, I need you in ten minutes. School hall."

Rachel didn't know whether he was more shocked about her interruption or that she had Alison next to her. Whichever one it was, she didn't have time for. She needed to go and greet her guests again and to get them into the hall.

Which is what she did as she left all five of them on the school field. She apologised and thanked Jasmine before she brought them down to the school hall, seating them in the front row. She took the smile that Amelia shot her as the twins walked into the hall and she noted Eddie coming in with Michael and Alison before she sat down. She felt like she was holding her breath as she waited for Eddie to join her, being able to give him a smile when he did.

"I think we need to talk as well." He said.

"I know. I am sorry."

"Don't worry. I think Amelia explained for you."

"My incredibly bright daughter."

"Our incredibly bright daughter." He corrected her.

Rachel was sure that they would have said more to each other if the school production hadn't started. Because there was so much that they still needed to say to each other.

Rachel didn't know what was worse. Seeing Tess again after all these years or the fact that she had the audacity to say something to her, just to make sure that she had seen her. It was why she made her excuse that she would be back in a moment and made her way to the closest toilets. Although she didn't like how Tess had followed her and closed the door of the toilets to leant on it. Rachel leant on the sink and looked down before she looked up at Tess through the mirror.

"Hello, Amanda. It's been a while since we've been like this." Tess said.

"What do you want?" Rachel said, with no patience for the pleasantries.

"Now is that how you teach your students to greet people? Because that isn't a nice way to greet someone that you haven't seen in 17 years."

"Exactly that. I haven't seen you in 17 years." Rachel said as she turned to Tess properly.

"Well, it seems like you have made something of yourself."

"I've just done what I have always wanted to do."

"Shame that it could all be taken away, couldn't it? A new name, a new job. I suppose these people are as open-minded as the rest when it comes to what you and I did."

"What do you want Tess?"

She knew that Tess knew that she was equally riling her and scaring her. Her dark secret always came back to haunt her. Although Rachel was sure she already knew what Tess wanted. It was just what that entailed.

"I'm ready to call in my favour."

"I don't owe you."

"Don't you?" Tess said as she took a few steps towards Rachel. "I do remember taking a client for you because you want a night to see what it was like to be 'normal' and I ended up getting beaten up. You owe me for that night, Amanda. Always have done and always will."

"What about all the crap with the police? You almost set me up."

"And that was short-sighted of me. I needed some sort of revenge back then." Tess paused. "How are the kids?"

Rachel had no idea how Tess knew about the twins but she was sure that she paled at the question. Her worst nightmare was playing out in front of her and she didn't know how to play it.

"You leave my kids out of this. This is between me and you." Rachel said.

"Then you better do my little favour."

"Which is?"

"A man named Stuart Hordley might turn up. When he does come knocking on your door, you are to do everything that he tells you to. Because I think the last thing that you want to happen is for your children to know the dirty little slut that you were and how you became pregnant with them, do you?"

Rachel knew that the best thing to do was to not say anything else and to just let Tess go and not let her know that the twins already knew everything that she was threatening her with.

"Something is up with Mum," Amelia whispered as they waited for her to get changed.

"Agreed," James said.

"Well?"

"I am not asking her."

"You're the favourite."

"Oh fuck off. Don't give me that crap."

"It's not crap."

"I'm not asking her."

"Do you think…"

"Mum? Not get ROBEC approval?" James said, interrupting her. "She got it alright. Mum would not, not get it."

"So what is up with her?"

"Maybe her and Eddie had another falling out."

"When he is coming over tomorrow to talk."

"He might biologically be our dad, but he doesn't have to actually be our dad."

Amelia found herself sighing. "Jamie, you don't mean that."

She was quite glad that he didn't come back with 'he did mean it' quickly. She knew that because Michael was part of the picture now that he would be more open to the idea of having a relationship with Eddie. It would still take a lot for James to let him in but Amelia knew that there was a possibility that it could happen.

What she wasn't completely happy about was the fact that their mum chose that moment to walk into the kitchen.

"What are you two doing in here?" Their mum said.

"Well, aren't we celebrating?" James said.

"Of course we are."

"And I mean ROCBEC. Not finding out that Eddie is our dad."

Amelia watched as their mum shook her head before asking what they were drinking. The problem was Amelia knew that something was up and when she met James' eye, he knew it too. Just she knew that the last thing that was going to happen was that their mum was going to tell them what was on her mind. And for their mum, that could be a long list of things.