(A/N): Next chapter! Another long one, because I apparently try to write a whole bunch and then have to go back and heavily edit because I've written way too much waffle. I'm currently writing the upcoming school year and debating how to twist things, and how big a role people like Max and Chris will play, especially as I've still got Max, Chlo, Janeece and Donte at the school, which sort of changes things more than I'd expected. I don't want to stick too much to the episodes, but I think I'm still including the Lindsay storyline, I'm just not sure how to fit it in. Anyway, here's the next chapter and I'm working on all the other story ideas I have wandering about this thing I call a brain as well as continuing with this. I hope you all like it and I don't think I left this chapter on a cliffhanger, but I apologise if I did. Read on, enjoy, let me know what you think!
What the Heart Wants
Chapter 32
Two nights later, Maxine and Alia sat together at the kitchen table, chatting together as they did some revision for their next upcoming exams, which happened to be French the following day for the pair of them. The French written exam was held on the same day and time for GCSE, AS and A2, so three years would be cramming into the hall the following morning to get their exam over and done with. Everything had kicked off at school that day, even with the exams taking place throughout the day, the news making the rounds quickly that Kim had had to give her baby over to the authorities because she'd technically stolen it. Alia and Maxine had stayed quiet about it all, with Steph pulling them to one side to confirm the news to them that lunch time. They really didn't know what they could have done to help and were doubtful they actually could have done anything. Rachel was still furious over it, Alia knew, though she'd called a lawyer to help Kim out anyway after thinking of her own child and what she'd do to keep her safe and happy. But Alia knew she wouldn't get much revision done at her house with Rachel and Eddie still talking over the day's events, Philip having escaped round to Paul's house, where he was supposed to be doing revision as well with Paul and Bolton, though she'd bet money on them all playing video games instead. At this point, she was pretty sure Eddie had unofficially moved in with them, hardly ever going back to his place, even when he had Michael with him. That would make her disappearing act to go on tour that summer awkward, particularly as neither her nor her mum had ever gotten round to telling him about Lia Rose. So with the events of that particular day still fresh in their minds, as well as the different adults' reactions to them, Maxine had asked Alia if she wanted to revise at her place rather than next door, ordering in a pizza for them to share which was sat on the kitchen counter, mostly empty at this point. They'd called Chlo to hear how she and the baby were doing before settling down with their French revision. Chlo was taking her exams in the summer when the resits would be taken, Rachel promising her a place at the school the following year whether she'd sat her exams or not.
Their heads shot up as they heard a key in the door, Steph's voice ringing out immediately. "Max? It's only me." She'd learnt her lesson from the last time and called out when she got home now, in an effort to keep the girl in her care as calm as possible. She didn't want either of them reminded of that afternoon if she could help it. Maxine called back that they were in the kitchen, Steph poking her head in with a small smile for them both. "Hey girls. Revision?" They nodded, holding up the French books for her to see. "Ah, trés bien." She stepped further into the room, revealing a distraught Kim behind her, looking awkward at being there at all, though it increased at least twofold when she saw the revising teenagers at the table. "We'll be in the living room girls, just try to keep it down, alright?" Steph smiled as both girls nodded immediately, their faces the picture of understanding and lack of judgement. Sometimes she wondered just how it turned out with so many wonderful students at their school, despite the sometimes very rough exteriors.
"We can go back to mine if it's easier, Steph." Alia offered, wide eyed and sympathetic. Steph shook her head, reaching out for a bottle of red wine and a couple of glasses.
"No, love, stay here, it's fine. Does your mum know you're here?" Steph checked as Alia nodded.
"Yeah, I think her and her boyfriend are just happy to have a teenager free house for a few hours." She smirked, something that was matched by both Maxine and Steph. Since the night of Maxine's party, Rachel and Eddie had been much more open during school time that they were together, with those in the know getting confirmation from Alia for the exact dates of who won the year 13 betting pool. It turned out to be a year 12 called Hannah who had bet on the week they had officially started going out, which was the bowling night the teenagers had avoided participating in for the most part. Steph had won the teacher betting pool and had crowed about it for two whole days, to everyone in the staffroom's despair.
"I bet they are." Steph's smirk indicated she would definitely be teasing Rachel about it in the morning.
"Miss, I'm sorry about what happened." Alia addressed Kim sympathetically, hazel eyes wide with understanding and compassion for the distraught teacher.
"So am I." Kim mumbled, more than a little confused with the thoughtful girl sat in Steph's house, a far cry from the persona she'd seen from the sixteen year old at school, though Alia had been careful to stay out of the art teacher's way as often as possible since the uniform debacle shortly before Philip's birthday.
"If you need anything, shout us." Max told them both sincerely. "We're nearly finished with this revision tonight anyway."
"Thanks, Max." Steph led Kim to the living room, wine and glasses in hand as she poured enough for them both, setting it all on the coffee table before sitting down close to Kim's side. "Those girls. Just when you want to wring their necks, they pull out the bloody understanding side of them." She shook her head, smiling at the intuitiveness and understanding of the two teenagers.
"Are you sure it's alright? I can just go home." Kim looked unsure about it all, practically itching to run away from the house, from what she'd done that had blown up in her face that day.
"Trust me, Kim, it's fine. If you're that uncomfortable, I'll send the pair to Alia's house for the night."
"No, no, I couldn't do that. Plus, wouldn't Alia's parents mind?"
"Her mum would be fine with it." Steph smiled, knowing that although Kim had heard Alia mention her mother and mother's boyfriend, in her current state, she probably hadn't processed it. "The girls know, by the way, have done since I came back with Grace." She held her hands up at Kim's betrayed look. "I didn't know they were home that night! I swore them both to secrecy, and they kept their word. No one knew until today, and they still didn't tell what they knew. Those girls know how to keep a secret."
"I suppose they'd have to be close, given what they went through. Tom told me."
"Ah, yeah. Knocked ten years off my life, I can tell you. Walked into my house to find little Janeece bent over those two currently sat in the kitchen, yelling their names through her tears." Steph took a deep breath, finding it a difficult conversation even so many months later. "I thought they were dead for a few moments."
"Oh, Steph, I'm sorry."
"No, no, it's fine. I'm fine, they're fine. It's just a bit of a sore subject still, that's all." Steph managed a shaky smile. "They'll even show you the scars if you ask them. They call them mirror scars. But enough trying to put me off, missy. We need to talk about today. Are you still in a job, at least?"
"I… I think so." Kim shook her head as though it would straighten her thoughts out. "I don't know. I was convinced I'd be for the sack like that." She snapped her fingers weakly.
"But?" Steph prompted.
"Rachel, she set me up with a lawyer. A good one. Why would she do that?" Kim frowned, confused. "After all she'd said and yelled, I thought I'd be in for the chop. Instead, I get a call that she's set up a lawyer for me."
"Sounds like her." Steph commented lightly, managing a roll of the eyes at just how selfless Rachel could be, trying to give everyone chance after chance, regardless of whether they deserved it or not. She couldn't deny that Kim deserved another chance though. "She wants to save everyone from the mistakes they've made, daft cow." She blinked at Kim's bewildered expression, somewhat marred by the red, swollen eyes she sported. "Oh, don't tell me you've been here for months and still don't know?"
"Know what?" Kim questioned, finally reaching out for one of the wine glasses and taking a sip.
Steph sighed. She really thought someone would have filled Kim in by now, even if she hadn't out of her friendship with the headmistress. She deliberately waited for Kim to set the wine glass back down and swallow the mouthful she'd taken. She didn't need to be trying to get red wine stains out of her furniture tonight. "Rachel, before she went into teaching, was a prostitute. All before summer last year she was being blackmailed over it and then was exposed over it in the middle of the spelling bee on the last day of term. Of course, no one really expected the school to then explode, go up in flames with her trapped in it."
"She was a prostitute?"
"Oh yeah, as a teenager anyway. Got out at nineteen as far as anyone knows." Steph hid the information Rachel herself had informed her of, with the threats Stuart had made against both her and Alia and the scarring from the fire. "She gives everyone chance after chance because no one gave her one. Like I said, a daft cow."
"That was almost nice of you, Steph." Kim sighed, rubbing her face with her hands as her tears finally calmed somewhat. "I… I need to explain. I need to explain everything to Rachel. How could she want to help me after all this? I was convinced I'd be for the chop." Kim wiped furiously at her eyes to try and rid herself of the seemingly ever present tears, make herself at least a little more presentable. Steph nodded, getting out her phone to text the woman next door, part of her hating that she was interrupting a well-deserved quiet night in between Rachel and Eddie. Sending the text, she got a reply less than a minute later in the affirmative.
"Don't worry. It'll all be sorted soon enough." She told Kim soothingly, doing her best to calm the younger woman until she heard the sound of a knock on the front door followed by the sound of two teenagers heading to answer the knock. The door opened and closed, the set of heels in the hallway letting Steph know that Rachel was there with the two girls, probably getting the lowdown of what was going on from the teenagers before speaking to the adults. Not that she blamed her; Steph would be doing the exact same thing if the situation was reversed.
Rachel appeared in the doorway to the living room, Maxine and Alia behind her peering round her, nosy as ever. "Steph, I got your message. What's wrong?"
"Kim's working herself right up into a state." Steph explained, gesturing for Rachel to take a seat the other side of Kim. "Can't understand why you're not sacking her on the spot. I sent you that text so you can explain it to the silly sod. Maybe she'll listen to you."
"I'll try." Rachel offered, sitting down in the offered place. "Girls, don't even think of listening at the door." She told the teenagers firmly.
"Would we do something like that?" Maxine asked with mock innocence.
"Let them stay." Kim said tiredly. "They already know; Steph told them weeks ago." She didn't see the way Rachel's eyes narrowed at Alia, or the way Alia winced, knowing she had a lot of explaining to do later. Maxine and Alia slowly crept into the room, silently seating themselves on the other sofa.
"Sorry." Alia addressed Rachel sincerely. "But honestly, would you have believed me if I would've told you Kim's baby wasn't hers?"
Rachel closed her eyes briefly, wanting to be angry with her daughter for keeping something like that from her and she was, but she couldn't deny that she would have been sceptical if Alia had told her that Kim had stolen a baby and passed it off as her own. But that was beyond the point; she still should have told her. "We'll discuss that later." She turned to Kim. "Alright, let's talk."
…
Eddie looked up as Rachel entered the living room a couple of hours after she'd left abruptly, telling him Steph needed to talk to her, a sheepish Alia in tow. He frowned instinctively at Rachel's barely contained anger and Alia's obvious guilt. What on earth had happened? He was even more surprised when Alia willingly flopped down next to him on the sofa whilst Rachel paced the room, trying to walk off a little of her anger before she accidentally exploded at her daughter. "What happened, Ali?"
"Kim wanted to explain everything to Rachel." Alia supplied in a small voice. "But she also let slip that Steph told me and Max weeks ago what was going on."
"Ali." Eddie knew he sounded exasperated with the teenager, couldn't help it. How, how did these things keep happening, and how on earth did it turn out she always knew something? He could only hope that this wouldn't turn out the same way as it did when she'd kept the news of Bolton's underground fight from her mum. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"How was I meant to tell either of you that Kim stole a baby?" Alia asked rationally, running a hand over her face. "It sounds ridiculous even now, just as it did when Steph told us! Neither of you would've believed it if you hadn't been told by the Home Office like you did!" She sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything but between all my exams, my meetings and Chlo giving birth on us, it never occurred to me to remember, let alone tell anyone!"
"Go upstairs." Eddie advised Alia quietly, eyeing his pacing girlfriend, who didn't seem up for slowing down anytime soon. "I'll talk to Rachel before she talks to you, alright?"
Alia nodded instantly, pausing for a second before handing her phone over to him. "Here. Take this before Rachel demands it off me." She smiled somewhat gratefully to him before rushing off in the direction of her room. Eddie waited for the sound of her reaching the top of the stairs before standing, slipping her phone into his pocket and approaching Rachel cautiously, placing his hands on her shoulders to pause her pacing.
"Rach. Talk to me."
"Every damn time." Rachel let her head fall onto his shoulder, shoulders slumping as she let some of the tension out of her body, allowing his to hold some of her weight. "Every time I think I'm getting through to her, she pulls another stunt like this. I have no idea what to do with her. The problem is, she has a good point. She probably did forget to mention it, and we most likely wouldn't have believed her. It's pretty unbelievable in the first place, let alone coming from the mouth of a sixteen year old, no matter how usually truthful that teenager is."
"She's a teenager. She's going to get it wrong from time to time." Eddie pointed out, enveloping Rachel in his arms, his head resting on her hair. "She handed me her phone, so I assume she knows she's grounded?"
Rachel nodded. "Two weeks. Probably wouldn't make a blind bit of difference anyway, what with all the revision her and Phil need to get done for their GCSEs. Plus, I think I need her to promise she'll tell me next time there's something big she knows, no matter how unbelievable it is."
"Sounds like a plan." Eddie pressed a kiss to her hair. "And in the effort of getting you to relax, at least somewhat, how about we go away in the holidays? A week for just the two of us?"
"Where?" Rachel asked quietly, face still hidden in his shirt.
"Anywhere you want. How about Greece?" Eddie asked as he named the first place that popped into his head, rubbing his hand down her spine to try and help the stress leave her body. "If you want, we can take Alia and Philip with us."
"No, we should be able to go away, just us two, without any teenagers in tow." She moved back enough to see his face, smiling tiredly up at him. "I'll ask Sam or Steph to watch out for the kids for a week or so. I can always tell Sam it's part of his godfather duties to look after both of them."
"We'll go book it this weekend then." Eddie promised, kissing her briefly before handing her Alia's phone. "Now, I think you need to go talk to the world's biggest secret keeper."
…
Rachel didn't find Alia in her room, but she didn't allow that deter her as she glanced to make sure Eddie hadn't followed her, making her way up to the music room once she was sure she was alone. Sure enough, when she let herself into the room, the soft melodies from a keyboard hit her ears, from a song Alia had ensured never made it to public ears. It had been one of the first she'd composed alone, and Rachel loved it just as much as Alia did, the haunting tune both sad and soothing all in one. She made her way silently to where her daughter sat at the instrument, her back to the door, setting the mobile down on the keyboard display, the tune stopping mid song as Alia stared at the returned electronic device. "Two weeks grounded, but you get to keep your phone for school and in case your manager calls you over the tour." She bargained.
Alia nodded instantly, turning to face her mum with wide, guilt filled eyes. "I really am sorry, mum."
"We can't keep doing this." Rachel perched on the piano stool beside her daughter, gathering the sixteen year old into her arms. "I need to know, no matter what happens, that you'll tell me when something big happens, whether it's about you or not."
"I'll try." Alia promised instantly. "Rach, I can't promise otherwise because I can't guarantee I won't forget or anything else, but I promise that I will always try to tell you anything big. Is that alright?"
"That's alright." Rachel confirmed, knowing that Alia was trying to be realistic, as she did her utmost to never break a promise she'd made. "Things were much easier before, weren't they?"
"Yes, but you weren't nearly so happy back then, so I think we can take the bad with the good." Alia smiled. "Oh, and mum?"
"Yes, love?"
"That goes both ways. I want to know if there's something big with you, so I can help even if it's just making your life easier."
"Okay." Rachel agreed, recalling that there was something she did need to discuss with her daughter. "Eddie wants to take me away in the summer holidays, just the two of us. Is that alright with you? I mean, you already knew I wouldn't be able to accompany you on the entirety of your tour, and Phil would be alright here."
"Of course I don't mind. You need a good holiday. If you make it the second week of the holidays, it'll cover the time I'm really down south. Sam could come with me and failing that, Angie would look after me." Angie was Angela Tierney, Alia's manager. "You need a good holiday. It's not like we managed to get away last summer, is it?"
"I'm sorry I put you through that, sweetheart." Rachel held her daughter tighter. For all her daughter acted tough, Rachel knew the one year anniversary of the fire was coming up and would affect them all badly, but especially the sixteen year old, who nearly a year ago, had had that fateful phone call from the hospital to inform her that her mum was there, badly burned with smoke inhalation and was in a coma, the medical professionals unsure if she would even wake up, let alone when. Alia hadn't spoken much about that summer, but when Rachel had woken up only a couple of weeks before the start of term, it was to find a haggard, exhausted looking teenager sat at her bedside, filling out paperwork in a fair imitation of Rachel's own handwriting. After explaining that she'd been in a coma, with two operations and a skin graft during that time, Alia had refused to elaborate any further, the nurses that came in only further cementing it in Rachel's mind that Alia had been there the whole time as they discussed things seamlessly with the fifteen year old, who made decisions with a tired authority. Point in fact, it had been Alia that had gotten her released from hospital when Rachel had wanted to go home, having had more than enough of the hospital room. "Tell me about it?"
"Now?" Rachel could feel the reluctance her daughter was practically blasting off through her body language.
"No, not now. This summer though. We'll talk it all through properly this summer." Rachel promised her. "Come on now, you've still got French revision to do."
…
Rachel and Eddie couldn't help but breathe simultaneous sighs of relief when the final exams came and went, neither relishing the tense atmosphere that permeated Rachel's house all the time with the two stressed sixteen year olds. Eddie had booked the holiday for both of them for the second week of the school holidays, per Rachel's request, and neither could wait, both more than a little excited to be getting away, just the two of them. As much as they loved the teenagers, the constant stress was getting to all of them. He'd noticed Alia and Rachel becoming much more secretive the closer the end of term became, but he had pushed it to the back of his mind, trying to tell himself that Rachel at least would tell him if it was something truly serious. But it was hard to pretend he hadn't noticed anything off with them, particularly when they'd seem to disappear within their own home for several minutes at a time. They'd had a few visits from Chlo and Donte, with their new baby, which had brought a smile to everyone's face, especially when they'd found out what the couple had named their child.
"It's stressful, and I'm not looking forward to when they've exams as well as the baby, but they've got this, I can't deny that." Tom told Rachel and Eddie proudly as Alia cooed over the baby with Chlo, Donte and Philip talking together a little away from the girls.
"What's her name?" Alia asked as the baby clutched her little finger, prompting an involuntary smile from the sixteen year old.
Chlo and Donte exchanged a look before Chlo addressed the room as a whole. "Her name is Izzie, after mum. Izzie Rachel Charles."
Rachel felt tears fill her eyes as a hand covered her mouth, eyes locked on Chlo and Donte, who were smiling at her widely. Eddie increased his grip on her hand in a show of silent support. "Really?" She asked faintly.
"Really." Donte confirmed, grinning. "We wouldn't be here without you or anything, not nearly so smoothly, anyway. She's got a good name."
"They couldn't have chosen better." Tom added proudly.
"Ali, we want you to be her godmother." Chlo added after a moment. Alia's eyes widened.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." Chlo nodded firmly. "We couldn't think of anyone else who would protect her like you would."
"Then I'd be honoured." Alia agreed as Rachel approached, wrapping an arm round her daughter's shoulders. "God help that little one, being inducted into the madness that is all of our lives."
Therefore, the final day of the school year should, in theory, be a relaxed thing, but between the school choir and trying to organise things for the leaving sixth formers and the end of the exams, the day wasn't nearly as stress free as it could be for any of the teachers, but particularly the two senior ones. The day had surprisingly started off quite positively, with Eddie waking up and heading downstairs before Rachel for a change, finding Alia sat alone in the kitchen eating some toast and nursing a cup of coffee. He sat himself down next to her with his own cup of coffee, fighting the nerves that sprang up as he addressed the tired sixteen year old.
"Alia."
"What's up?" She asked round a mouthful of toast.
"I want you to know, no matter what, I am truly accepting the both of you, not just your mum." Eddie told her earnestly, handing her a smallish box. "You're a package deal, I get that, and I wouldn't have it any other way." He'd been working up the courage to say all this to her for a while, wanting the teenager to truly understand that he was all in for both of them, not just Rachel, something the woman he loved had teared up when he'd mentioned it to her a few weeks earlier.
"You make my mum happy. I don't mind having you round either." Alia smiled softly at him. "Okay, it's nice, alright, having you around." She admitted with a shy grin.
"I plan to be around forever if you and your mum don't mind that. No matter what you need, I will be here." Eddie promised, taking note of her eyes nearly popping out of her head in surprise. He meant every word he said. "That's for you, by the way." He gestured to the box he'd handed her. "I got Rachel that new watch; I'll give it to her at school." Rachel's old watch, a gift from her daughter years earlier, had broken the previous week and she was loathed to let it go, despite it no longer working. Eddie hoped his gift would help a little, especially as he'd taken it from a list of possible ones Alia had produced for him, so technically from both of them even if he'd bought it.
"Can I open it now?" Alia asked cautiously. Eddie nodded with a smile. She opened the box curiously, revealing a small charm bracelet with three charms already on it: a paint brush, a heart with her initials on and a small gem depicting her birthstone. "Woah."
"I know you like art and your mum told me when your birthday was. The internet provided the gemstone for your birthday." Eddie explained somewhat awkwardly. "Do you like it? I can always get you something else, I guess."
"No, no, Eddie, I love it, really." She held her right wrist out with a wide smile. "Help me put it on? Or am I still included in the no jewellery rule at school?" She teased.
"I think that can be relaxed for you today." Eddie agreed, relieved the gift had gone over so well with the sixteen year old, even with Rachel's many assurances that it would. Despite the many times she'd spoken to him, he still felt as though he barely knew the teenager, so it was slightly nerve-wracking to try and find a way to show that he definitely included her in his life, that she was involved in his family just as much as her mother was. He circled the bracelet round her wrist gently, fastening the clasp with care. "Thanks for letting me be here, Ali."
"Thanks for proving you're worth it." She replied softly. "I don't need a dad Eddie, but I could probably do with someone to support my mum when I decide to stress her out for no reason. I think that's you."
"I hope it is." Eddie smiled before adopting a mock stern expression. "Now, tell me you're wearing pants today. I think half the school had a heart attack at how short your skirt is. I'm pretty sure Kim's written you up at least five times over your skirt alone, let alone the heels you paired them with."
"Hey, don't blame me, Rach fully agreed to them." Alia defended herself jokingly. "But no, I'm wearing a skirt today. I got paint on my school pants yesterday. I do have my blazer though, because mum dragged me in to the audience for that stupid choir competition."
"She dragged me into it as well." Eddie confirmed with a head shake, taking a swig of his coffee as Rachel appeared from the doorway with a wide smile.
"What's going on?" She queried with a smile at seeing them sat together amiably.
"Eddie's complaining about the length of my school skirt." Alia told her with a grin.
"It's longer than your hands at your sides, right?" Rachel checked. Alia nodded. "Well, there we go then. It's still longer than half the girls' skirts in school." The conversation carried on in much the same lighthearted vein as Philip appeared groggily and the four of them got ready for the last day of the school year, Alia somehow ending up in the car with Eddie as Philip travelled in with Rachel. They hurried into the building, somehow earlier than the headmistress and her nephew for a change, making their way up to Rachel's office as quickly as possible. Alia waited in the outer office as Eddie placed Rachel's gift on her desk, hoping he finished up before her mum arrived. What she hadn't expected though, was for who did walk through the door, bag clutched to her front and a devious expression that fell the moment they laid eyes on the stunned teenager.
"Alright, Ali, that's it-" Eddie cut himself off in shock as he exited Rachel's office, his face matching the surprise on the sixteen year old's face, the teenager leant on Bridget's desk. "Melissa?!"
"Surprise." Melissa smirked at her ex-boyfriend, stood beside her niece, knowing her appearance had definitely been the last thing either of them had expected. She let the bag drop from her middle, revealing a protruding baby bump that made their eyes widened even more. She fought the urge to laugh, delighted at their stunned reactions. "Double surprise. And before you ask, yes, it's yours."
"I don't believe this." Eddie fumed, his brain instantly turning to what the woman's sister would think if she found the pregnant woman there, in her office, on the last day of term. "Time to go, before Rachel sees you." He made to make her leave, but Alia stopped him, her hand gentle on his arm, though he was under no illusion that she'd somehow have the strength to stop him should he try to shake her off. What he couldn't understand though, was why she didn't want her aunt to leave just as much as he did.
"Eddie, stop. Let her talk." Alia told him seriously, her face stony and guarded, much like Rachel's often was on occasion, clearly untrusting of her aunt as she hardly ever used that expression around her mother or Eddie.
"What? Ali, if Rachel sees her…"
"She'll be upset, true." Alia finished quietly. "But Philip needs to see her. Plus the baby isn't yours."
"Excuse me? I know who the father of my unborn child is, thank you very much." Melissa replied hotly, her arms defensively round her baby bump, cursing herself for not checking to make sure there was no one except Eddie or her sister there when she'd let herself into the antechamber. She could already see her plans crumbling round her with the cool, icy stare of her niece.
"How far along are you, five, six months max?" Alia asked with a smirk, arms crossed over her chest, her bag still on Bridget's desk. "Eddie broke up with you about nine months ago. Plus, he had Michael for a fortnight before that, so he wouldn't have spent the night with you then either. Unless there was some sort of black magic involved, or a miracle, that baby there isn't his."
"It was the night of Phil's birthday." Melissa lied impulsively, thinking of the first date about five months ago she could recall off the top of her head. "Eddie found me and we spent the one glorious night together. This is the result of that."
Eddie snorted involuntarily even as Alia burst out laughing. Melissa frowned at them, not understanding what was so hilarious as Alia nearly fell off the desk, Eddie catching her and pushing her back into a seated position, though he too was chuckling lowly. "Oh, that's the funniest thing I've ever heard." Alia giggled, Eddie helping her stay upright through her laughter with a hand on her shoulder.
"What's so funny?" Melissa demanded with just a tiny foot stomp, just as Rachel made her way into the outer office, stopping dead in her tracks at finding her sister stood there, mid strop, pregnant no less, with Rachel's boyfriend and daughter laughing at her. Shocked didn't even begin to cover it.
"She knows full well I was nowhere near you that night." Eddie informed Melissa after letting out a final chuckle. "Because I spent the whole night with Rachel. It was more than a little awkward to find Alia in the kitchen the morning after, waiting for us like a disapproving parent."
"They're awful at keeping the noise down." Alia added unhelpfully, ignoring the blushes that covered Rachel and Eddie's features.
"What is going on here?" Rachel found her voice just as Melissa decided she'd had enough, the grand reappearance she'd planned not working out in her favour. She'd banked on the shock of her showing up pregnant to put a wrench in things enough that Eddie would come back to her without question, leaving her sister if Rachel was involved with him. She stormed out of the office childishly, ignoring the calls of Rachel and Eddie as they chased after her, Alia following them in their wake, still laughing. Until she came face to face with her sixteen year old son, who stared at her and her growing bump in something akin to horror, ignoring the shock and murmurs of the many schoolchildren that littered the corridor.
"Mum?!"
"Philip."
…
"Mum!"
Eddie could only watch helplessly as Alia followed Rachel straight into the path of the digger, too busy holding Melissa back from trying to get to her sister to get to them himself. Rachel wouldn't appreciate her sister getting hurt over her, no matter the hurt that sister had already tried to cause. After the blowup that morning, he'd offered to stay behind to sort out the drinks for the leaving sixth formers instead of going to the choir competition, silently assuring Rachel he would also get to the bottom of why Melissa had shown up for the shock factor that day, carrying a baby she was trying to futilely pass off as his. Rachel had agreed somewhat reluctantly, though Alia had assured him she would keep an eye on her mother for him. What he hadn't expected was for Philip to agree to move back in with his mum out of his aunt's house, Melissa stubbornly refusing to elucidate on why she'd lied to them that morning, before there was an almighty crash and he rushed out of the building in time to see Ralph behind the wheel of a massive digger and Rachel and Alia tumbling out of a taxi a few metres away. Eddie still wasn't sure how either female had run over to the school building so quickly in the heels they wore. He definitely hadn't expected Rachel to stand stubbornly in front of the machinery, nor for Melissa to make a bid to run to her sister, pregnant and selfish as she was. He did notice Ralph pause in his actions at the terrified cry of the sixteen year old, clearly not having known Rachel was a mother before that moment. Eddie pushed Melissa less than gently into Philip's care before rushing over to the scene of the madness. He needed to save the two females that meant most to him in this world, no matter the cost.
Alia reached out to Rachel, grabbing hold of her arm and tugging desperately. "Mum, come on, you need to move!" She tried to pull her mum out of the path of the digger, to no avail. Rachel was not for being moved. Coming to a drastic decision, she stopped trying to drag Rachel away and stood beside her, taking her hand in her own. "Fine. We go together." She turned to face the mad man she didn't recognise in the digger stoically, not seeing Rachel turn to her in horror and fear. Before Rachel could do anything however, Eddie had jumped up onto the digger and punched Ralph Mellor, taking the keys out of the vehicle and slamming the door shut on him, wincing at the smell of alcohol that practically oozed from the man.
"Rach, Ali." He hustled over to them, pushing them both somewhat roughly from the digger's path and engulfing them in a tight hug they returned in kind, thankful they were alright but so terrified for them, adrenaline rushing through all three of them as they clung to one another. "Seriously, you both have to stop frightening the life out of me."
"I couldn't let her stand there alone." Alia confessed into Eddie's shirt. "Couldn't watch her and not try to help."
"I was about to move, to pull Ali away. It's one thing to risk my safety, but I'd never put her in danger." Rachel divulged; her voice muffled a little by the other side of Eddie's shirt. The three stayed firmly embraced until the police arrived to arrest Ralph, who refused to move past the trio, even cuffed with a police escort.
"You have a teenager, Mason? Then you know exactly what I lost. This isn't over."
Rachel fixed him with a determined look, her arms round her daughter's shoulders and Eddie's arms around her waist. Their own little family. It could almost be a family photo, if not for the lack of a camera and the less than ideal backdrop of the partially demolished school. "Well, it's not for us, but it is for you. Yes, this is my daughter, and I'm very proud of her. But whilst you're in a prison cell, we'll be rebuilding this school, this community. And I'll be enjoying my life, with my boyfriend and my child and my school. You'll have the prison walls for company. I wish you well, Ralph."
The police escorted him away as Eddie's arms tightened round her waist. "You mean that?" He murmured in her ear. Rachel felt herself nodding almost against her will. It wouldn't be easy, not by a long shot, but they could make it work. It didn't help that her sister seemed hell bent on breaking them up, with ridiculous lies and a baby none of them had known about, but she trusted Eddie, trusted his feelings for her and knew he wouldn't have lied to her. Plus, the timeline didn't fit, with Melissa's lies placing him as having been in two places at once and Rachel knew very well that she'd definitely had Eddie with her that night, plus the entire weekend. The week after, he'd had Michael as well, so unless Melissa really was into some sort of miracle invoking witchcraft, that baby really couldn't be Eddie's. She fingered the watch on her wrist delicately, noticing the charm bracelet properly on her daughter's wrist for the first time and smiling at the knowledge that Eddie had finally worked up the courage to give the gift to the sixteen year old, having had it since he'd given Rachel her tennis bracelet the day of the sixteen year old's birthday.
"Yes, I mean it." She assured him. "You, me and Alia. I'd say Philip too, but from the looks of things, he's going to go home with his mum." She glanced over to where Philip was supporting Melissa, who looked to be in shock with how quickly everything had unfolded. It was a sad realisation that Rachel, Eddie and Alia weren't as shocked, used to everything changing in the blink of an eye, the odds forever set against them.
"Yes, he wants to support her. She's his mum; I couldn't really argue with that." Eddie pressed a kiss to her forehead, one arm wrapped around her shoulders, the other wrapped around Alia's shoulders. They'd both terrified him today, and somehow, he just knew they'd give him several more scares in the future. It was bad enough being in love with a woman who disregarded her safety on a regular basis, without her daughter also having inherited that same streak. "Rachel, I love you." He confessed, needing to tell her before she threw herself in harm's way one too many times and didn't come out the other side as unscathed as she'd managed thus far.
"Oh, Eddie, I love you too." Rachel reached out, cupping his face and meeting him for a heartfelt kiss just as the school coach appeared, the students clambering down from the vehicle followed closely by the teachers as they all stared in shock at the falling down school with the digger halfway in the front of it. It didn't help any to find their headmistress and deputy head liplocked in the middle of the chaos, Alia stood a couple of steps away clearly trying to ignore the entwined couple.
"Uh, I hate to break you two up, but we have company." Alia told them as she noticed the gathered crowd of students and teachers. The two senior teachers pulled apart instantly, flushing a little as they made their way over to the crowd together, holding hands, Rachel's free hand snagging one of Alia's on the way, pulling the sixteen year old along with them.
"Miss, Waterloo Road won." Sambuca told them, though her eyes remained focused on the ruined front of the building. All the newly arrived pupils and teachers were focused on the collapsed front of their school building, a far cry from the joyous event they'd just experienced.
"Are you blind?" Janeece snapped. "There is no Waterloo Road." The murmurs kicked up a notch at that, the students eyeing the destruction in horror and shock. Rachel was forcibly reminded of the fact that the school had been destroyed this time last year as well, with her in the thick of things that time also. She couldn't let them focus on the destruction and mayhem. She needed them to see it wasn't about the building. A building was just a building. Waterloo Road was much more than that.
"Yes, there is. Waterloo Road isn't a building. It's here, with you lot, this community, these pupils. These teachers. Me, it's this headteacher." She glanced at Alia, who nodded encouragingly. "It's my daughter." She smiled proudly at her daughter, ignoring the shocked gasps from those who didn't know, mainly the teachers. Steph and Tom were watching them with wide smiles, automatically shepherding everyone else closer to the head, deputy head and the sixteen year old with them.
"It's all of us." Alia told them clearly, stood at Rachel's side still holding her hand, ignoring the breeze that chilled her slightly, as her blazer was still in her bag where she'd abandoned it alongside Rachel's. "We're all Waterloo Road."
The chant of "Waterloo Road" began up, even the teachers joining in as the students jumped together, the mood rising despite the chaos that surrounded them. Rachel kept her hands firmly entwined with one of Eddie's and one of Alia's as they joined in the chanting, Maxine moving to take up Alia's free hand and Steph moving to take up Eddie's free hand. Soon enough, they were all linked through their hands, chanting for their school, their community, themselves.
…
The students that didn't want to rush home immediately littered the grass as far from the dangerous building as possible, the teachers automatically herding them to safety. The teachers were a little closer to the building, though not by much, and Maxine, Alia, Chlo, Donte and Izzie were sat as close to the adults as possible, Maxine taking her turn at holding the infant as they joined in with the teachers on what could be done to get the building fixed, the funds already being used the year before to rebuild the part of the school that had exploded and burnt beyond repair. Somehow, none of the teachers could see a drunk mad man with a digger being believed by the governors or the LEA over why the school was ruined once more. Which meant, somehow, the community would have to rally together.
"What about a fete?" Kim put forward hesitantly. "We could do it on school grounds, so long as we're far enough away from the building, at least the part that needs repairing."
"That sounds like a good idea, Kim, but it'd need to happen fast." Tom agreed readily enough as Izzie was passed from Maxine to Alia. Both girls were round at Tom's more often than not to see Chlo, Donte and Izzie, Tom often complaining jokily that he'd only anticipated one new arrival in his house, not three. But he couldn't deny the unconventional support structure they offered the new parents, with Chlo and Donte having all the support they could possibly need between Tom, Maxine, Janeece, Alia, Steph, Eddie and Rachel. Their house was a madhouse more often than not, but Izzie loved the attention and everyone loved Izzie. The christening was due to take place near the end of the school holidays, with everyone invited that formed that support for Chlo and Donte.
"It'd need to be a weekend too, or most folks won't show." Maxine inputted, showing the teenagers had been listening. "It's Wednesday today so theoretically like, we could do it this Saturday." Alia handed Chlo a notebook and pen from her retrieved school bag, and she split the page into ten equal sections.
"We could have a bake sale and a raffle and face painting." Chlo marked each one on a different square. "Some of the art students could do caricatures or portraits." She marked it down on another box.
"We could redo the one from the last fair where they could throw wet sponges at teachers." Eddie offered up somewhat reluctantly from beside Rachel, shoulder to shoulder leaning on one another slightly. They hadn't been much apart since the digger and they were both a little antsy at Alia not being within arm's reach, but she seemed happy enough cooing over her future godchild so they weren't going to say anything.
Chlo nodded, marking it down in another section. "That's five. We'd probably need about five more to make it a real success."
"Talent show?" Rachel suggested. "Have the choir do a segment and anyone else that wants a go. Have three of the teachers as judges."
"Great, the choir will definitely be up for that and I'll be one of the judges." Matt agreed enthusiastically as Chlo wrote it down, Steph and Jasmine also offering to be judges. "What about a friendly football match too? The girls vs the teachers?"
Chlo wrote it down when Tom nodded to her that it was a good idea. "That's seven. Anything else?"
"I've an idea but I need to make a few calls." Alia handed Izzie over to Rachel, who eyed her daughter knowingly with a narrowed gaze, having a good idea of what the sixteen year old was up to and knowing she'd handed her the baby so she couldn't follow her without drawing too much attention to it. She was beyond sneaky, and devious, and Rachel honestly hoped she wasn't doing what she thought she was. "Be back in a few."
"Is everything alright?" Eddie murmured to Rachel as they both smiled down at the gurgling baby in Rachel's arms, noticing the new tension in Rachel's frame and the way her eyes followed her daughter guardedly.
"Of course, I'm just going to murder my daughter." She muttered, sighing at Eddie's worried look. "I'll explain later. I'll have to at this rate."
"Assuming Ali pulls through with whatever she's got up her sleeve, that leaves two more spots." Chlo stated after glancing down at the page in the notebook being used as a makeshift plan.
"Bric a brac?" Steph suggested. "If all sales go to the school, people might buy more crap than usual."
Chlo wrote it down before a thought occurred to her. "If I can get help watching Izzie that day, then I could offer up haircuts and that to people, using the van." The van was still parked on the school grounds, thankfully not having been close enough to the school to be impacted by the digger and Ralph's handiwork. Theoretically, it should be able to be moved to be used for a fete.
"I'm sure we'll all help you watch Izzie, Chlo." Rachel assured her warmly, bouncing the baby slightly in her arms. It had been a long time since she'd held a baby, her own now she came to think of it. She did miss it at times, the little hand that curled round her finger, refusing to let go, the smile that could melt away whatever worries she had, convincing her she was doing something right, even when she had no clue what she was doing. Watching her grow into her own person, growing up during some time she'd blinked, no longer a child but a teenager, more grown up and dealing with much more than she'd ever anticipated, ever wanted for her child. But then, that was the eternal role of the mother, supporting their child no matter what life threw at them.
"Thanks, Rachel." Chlo wrote her own name down in the final box as Alia rushed back over, flopping back down into place with a wide smile. "What've you got, Ali?"
"A special guest appearance." Alia told them breathlessly. Rachel closed her eyes briefly, knowing all too well what was coming and also knowing she couldn't talk her headstrong daughter out of it before it was too late. "Lia Rose will do a fifteen minute slot for our fete."
Stunned silence followed her proclamation, all eyes rooted on Alia, who flushed red from the attention. "How?" Matt managed to squeak out.
"I know people, who know people." Alia rolled her eyes at the stunned disbelief she received in return. "Okay, I know someone who owes me a favour." She lied smoothly. Rachel fought to keep her own face straight and not let on her exasperation at her daughter putting herself out there just for the sake of a building. "I called them and they put me through to Lia, who agreed once I told her what happened, obviously assuming what I told her is real." The first part was real enough, only she'd called her manager and explained the situation and that she was doing it with or without help. Angie had argued for a couple of minutes before giving in and offering to help keep up the charade of Alia Mason and Lia Rose being two separate people.
"How are you going to prove that?" Kim asked.
"It's going to be all over the papers by morning. I don't have to prove anything." Alia shook her head lightly. "I mean, if Earl shooting two of us made the national news, a lunatic with a digger at the same school is at least going to make the local rag. I can always call back and cancel if you'd prefer." She waved her phone at them, lips crinkling into a smile as everyone bar Rachel immediately protested against her cancelling the guest appearance. "Well then, her appearance should at the very least get more coverage and bodies through the gates."
"Alright, so between us all, we should be able to get this sorted." Rachel rocked Izzie slightly as she addressed the assembled teachers and the teenagers related to at least one of teachers there. "Kim, you and Steph organise the stalls and the bric a brac, Matt, you organise the stage and the choir. Tom, organise the raffle and the one that allows the kids to hit teachers with sponges as well as the football team. Chlo, you and Maxine organise your hair salon and the art students that are willing to draw that day. Donte, you get the organisation of the bake sale and the face painting. Eddie and I will organise the entirety of the event, including sorting it with health and safety. Alia and I will organise the Lia Rose part of the day as well. Everyone clear on what they're doing?" Rachel waited for everyone to agree. "Alright then, let's get to it. We're all completely mental but we've a fete to organise."
…
Rachel caught hold of Alia before the teenager could disappear up the stairs as they got back home that evening, manhandling the sixteen year old into the living room and ignoring Eddie's obvious concern as she rounded on her daughter, hands on her hips. "You're playing a dangerous game here, Alia Mason." She warned the teenager. Alia nodded her head in agreement.
"I know but I didn't have any other option! There's no way we can raise the money otherwise, Rach!"
"You'll be running yourself ragged, one day before you're supposed to be up in Edinburgh." Rachel added, beyond worried about her daughter. "You'll be helping set up, in the football team and helping to look after Izzie, before we even get started on Lia Rose!"
"I know, mum, I know! And I'd donate the money we need in a heartbeat but that would only raise even more questions than a guest appearance. I don't know how, but we'll find a way to make it work. Angie said she'd help."
"I know Angie will help, we found you a wonderful manager, but that's not the point. You're risking everything for a building, Ali. It's just a building." Rachel tried to get her to see where she was coming from.
"I get that." Alia sighed, practically folding in on herself with exhaustion from the day's events. "I get it. But I can't sit back and watch the fete fail to raise the needed money when I have the ability to help."
"Why did I raise you to be so bloody selfless?" Rachel ran a hand over her face. "I'll help you, love, you know I will. Let's just hope no one catches on."
"What's going on?" Eddie's confused, concerned voice broke the bubble the mother and daughter were in, both spinning to face him in shock, having plain forgotten he was there at all. "Are you in some kind of trouble, Alia?"
"Only that of my own making." Alia sighed, running her hands through her hair. "I… I don't know how to say it. Wow. I just realised I've never told anyone before. Mum, you always told people for me."
"No time like the present then." Rachel placed a hand on Eddie's arm, trying to reassure him. "This is what I'm murdering her over. She's fine, it's just a tricky situation."
"It's about Lia Rose." Alia blurted out, looking anything but sure of herself.
"Don't tell me you lied about knowing her." Eddie closed his eyes briefly, wondering how they'd get away with lying about knowing the singer.
"Sort of, but not really." Alia shifted nervously from one foot to the other. "I do know her. So does Rach. So do you." She smiled at his surprised look. "I am Lia Rose."
"What?" Eddie shook his head automatically, though he didn't really mean it for the denial it looked like. "No, Ali, c'mon."
"Alia Rosemary Mason." Rachel spoke quietly, though Eddie hung on every word almost desperately. "Alia Rosemary. Lia Rose. Not nearly as clever a name as it appears, but somehow it's worked."
"Come on, it's time you saw this." Alia told him when it became clear he didn't want to believe they'd hidden something so big from him for so long. Really, he should've at least guessed, what with the number of big things Rachel had previously kept from him, namely her past and her daughter's existence. She led the two adults up the stairs, bypassing her room to lead them up the second flight of stairs.
"Why are we going to the attic?" Eddie queried with a frown.
"Whoever told you it was an attic?" Rachel questioned rhetorically as Alia led them up the stairs and opened the door, letting all three of them into the music room.
Eddie's jaw dropped as he took in the large room set up to be part living room, part dance space, part music studio, part walk in wardrobe. How all that had been set up was beyond him, and how he'd never had any inkling about this room being like this before was beyond him. It certainly leant credence to his girlfriend and her daughter hiding an entire pop star persona from him for months. It also explained where they would disappear to randomly from time to time. Rachel propelled him over to sit on the sofa with her as Alia grabbed one of her guitars from its stand, flopping down onto a beanbag in a tangle of limbs as she tried to keep the instrument aloft. "What Lia Rose song do you know best?" She asked him gently, much like one would a child. If he hadn't still been in such shock, her tone would have rankled him.
"Uh, I don't know. Darling, I suppose." Eddie said finally after thinking it over for a good few moments, trying to think of the one he'd heard most either in shops or on the radio, finally recalling the name of one of the more popular ones. Alia nodded, quickly tuning the guitar to what she needed it to be.
Rachel smiled softly as Alia played the familiar intro to the song from her previous album, darling. She knew all of her daughter's songs, knew even the ones that would never make it out of this particular room. No matter what happened, she would forever be proud of her daughter and all she had accomplished. She took note of Eddie's jaw dropping as Alia flowed flawlessly into the first verse, the acoustic tones of the guitar somehow changing the tone of the single slightly, though it was obvious that it was Lia Rose singing the song for them. Alia had a distinctive singing voice, which was why she'd avoided music and singing in that class so diligently. She would've been found out in an instant. Rachel's face never broke from her smile as her daughter played the whole song solely from memory, finishing up with a grin.
"Well? What do you think?" Alia asked flippantly, though with a serious undercurrent both adults picked up on almost instantly. Rachel turned her eyes to Eddie, praying he reacted well to yet another big secret she'd kept from him. He'd reacted awfully to her past initially, but her daughter had barely gotten too much of a reaction, so she really had no clue how he'd take this next secret at all.
"Are there anymore huge secrets you two have?" Eddie questioned faintly. "Oh god, you don't have a twin do you?" He asked in alarm. Alia laughed lightly.
"No and no. You know all the big things now, I think. You know of Rachel's past, the fact I exist in the first place, and now you know who I am when I'm not Alia Mason, daughter of super head Rachel Mason. I don't think there's anything else really big that we're hiding from you." Alia smiled at him, setting the guitar down next to her gently. "I'm on a whirlwind tour this summer, Scotland for a couple of days, Northern Ireland for a couple of days then straight down south for a week and a half, working my way back up, including a couple of days in Wales, to finish up in Manchester about three weeks after starting it. Mum insisted I had to be back to collect my exam results. It's going to be incredibly hectic and hellish, and I'm definitely not going to be able to speak for a few days after, but I'll definitely be back in time for Izzie's christening."
"And on top of that, you agreed to do a bloody guest appearance at your own school." Rachel shook her head at her daughter. "Sometimes I worry for your sanity."
"Only sometimes?" Alia teased, sticking her tongue out at Rachel.
"How can I help?" Eddie asked eventually, causing two pairs of eyes to turn to him in surprise. They'd left him alone to think things through, teasing each other light-heartedly waiting for his reaction. This, they hadn't expected, and he could read their thoughts right off their faces, instantly moving to assure them he was serious with his offer. "Seriously, I'm not going to be a prat about any of this. I want to help."
TBC…