Thank you for the reviews.

I don't really think I need to say anything more. Other than a month has passed since the last chapter. And I think you know where we are episode-wise.

The Chocolate Bloody Brownies

It was a sigh of relief when the exams were over with, from both staff and students. Rachel had definitely felt the pressure and stress lift in their household, with the twins now not knowing what to do with themselves in the weird time between them finishing their exams and getting their results. They could open the school to the year 11s, hoping to let them get a start on their AS levels, for those who wanted to do it.

But the year 13s were technically free. And there weren't always the shifts at work for the twins to fill their time there. Which meant that the little fundraiser that was being hosted at the school was the perfect thing to ask the twins to help out with and they both jumped at the chance.

And she could watch them forever as they busied themselves around the hall, asking everyone if they needed any help.

Her two brilliant children.

How was she ever meant to let them go?

"Rachel?" Eddie said, making her spin towards him as she came out of her daydream. "This is Andrew."

Rachel shook Andrew's hand. "Thank you for coming, Andrew. It looks great, doesn't it?" She said as she gestured to the hall.

"Looks amazing." Andrew let out a little laugh. "What the kids can do if they put their minds to it."

"Definitely that. Although, I think your name brought a… sense of purpose, let's say. There are more than a few students you seemed to inspire in your time here."

"As I am sure you two have done as well."

"Rachel is too modest to think that," Eddie said, earning him an elbow in the ribs from her.

With nearly everyone being excited by the idea of Andrew returning for a visit, Rachel knew that she had to find out why Kim was so against it, with her finding out about Grace and Kihika and how Kihika had begged Kim to take Grace to England, with Kim being so close to doing to before Andrew stopped her. Kim mentioned that one day she might look back and say that she was glad that Andrew did stop her because she knew that it was wrong to do. But when she decided to leave Rwanda, it was because she felt helpless and isolated, even with Andrew there.

It was a moment when Rachel found herself just listening and not giving her opinion. Because she didn't think that Kim needed or wanted it. Mainly because Rachel had no idea what it was like out in Rwanda or how desperate Kihika must have been to want Kim to do what she asked her to do.

So Rachel knew that Kim meeting Andrew would be frosty and Kim would be up for moving the conversation on very quickly once they had been reunited.

"The twins are here," Kim said.

"We mentioned it to them and they wanted to help out." Rachel said as she turned to see where they were before turning back. "I suppose they have nothing better to do. Although I think it is just another way that they are trying to pay back 'everything' I have done for them."

"Like their mother, it is best to keep them busy," Eddie said.

Rachel scoffed. "Just because you don't have a worry in the world."

She was sure that they were keeping some of the tension between Kim and Andrew at bay but that wouldn't be the case for the rest of the day and Rachel wondered whether she could sit them down to get them to talk, like Kim had helped the twins to get her to talk to Eddie. Rachel wasn't sure that Kim and Andrew would get back together (mainly because she was sure that this was only a visit for Andrew) but she hoped to get them civil again.

It was definitely something that was now on her agenda as Amelia joined them.

"Kim, I think you are the only person I haven't asked yet if there is anything I can do to help," Amelia said.

"Well, I think they are making a banner in the art room. Maybe you could be best placed there." Kim said.

"I'll see how they are getting on."

"Amelia, wait," Eddie said as Amelia started to walk off. "This is Andrew Treneman. Andrew, this is our daughter, Amelia."

"Nice to meet you," Amelia said.

"Likewise," Andrew said.

"You know, the moment Janeece heard that you were coming today, she could not shut up about you. She said that she would be down later."

"I'll look forward to seeing her."

"I'll umm…" Amelia said, pointing towards the door before she left them.

"She is right." Rachel said. "Janeece hasn't stopped talking about you. Made me definitely think that I had missed out on something."

"Well, it is all about a push in the right direction, isn't it?" Andrew said.

"Oh definitely."

Kim seemed to excuse herself at that point and Rachel couldn't really stop herself from turning to Eddie to see if he was seeing what she was. It was definitely something that Rachel wanted to sort out before it became a problem for them.

"Hey, Mum, do you have anything for me to do?" James asked.

Rachel was about to say no when Andrew caught her eye. "I don't, personally. But Andrew, do you have anything that you need setting up?"

"I've got a presentation," Andrew said.

"James, this is Andrew Treneman. Andrew, this is James, our son."

"I prefer Jamie," James said as he shook Andrew's hand.

It was the first time that James had worded it that way and Rachel knew that it gave her hope that, at some point, he wouldn't mind being James once more. Bearing in mind that she was still waiting for the day that James was going to legally change his name to Jamie (as he had threatened to do a number of times after he found out he could change his name).

"Catch you later," James said before he left them, with Andrew in tow.

"I prefer Jamie," Rachel whispered.

"Has he never said that before?" Eddie said.

"He would usually try and interrupt me."

"Well, things have changed."

"Do you think you could call him James now?"

Eddie let out a small laugh. "I am still waiting for permission. I remember getting my head bitten off because I accidentally called him James."

"But things have changed."

Rachel just smiled up at Eddie before she said that they still had lots to do and they should get on and do it.

The last thing that they needed was for something to go wrong. Eddie knew that it was a big ask for Waterloo Road but surely a fundraising event couldn't go wrong.

With the Rochdale runs (as Tom had called it) seeming to take over the school, Eddie actually felt glad that he hadn't actually had anything to eat from the hall yet. Rachel was stressing out about it all but he felt like he would have been more worried if she wasn't stressing. With them all at their actions stations, Eddie hoped that it wasn't food poisoning. Candice knew what she was doing in the kitchen. It wasn't going to be that.

But before he could ask Candice that question, Jamie stopped him.

"Dad, I think Philip's done something."

"How do you mean?" Eddie said.

"Well, I was being cheeky. Trying to take one of his brownies without paying. I was going to pay but he got really defensive over it, telling me that I wasn't to have one. I get that he hasn't had the greatest time here but that seems odd. Even for Philip. What if… What if he put something in the brownies and that was why he didn't want me to have one?"

It was clear that there could be something in what Jamie was saying. But Philip's behaviour had improved, hadn't it? Melissa was making an effort, wasn't she?

Eddie hadn't really asked Philip about his home life, with him wanting to keep Melissa out of mind and sight. She couldn't do any more harm if they didn't see each other.

But maybe things with Philip were bad and they were just as bad as Melissa for ignoring him and not asking. Maybe things had happened and they just hadn't been told about it, because Rachel was Philip's nephew. Maybe they thought that she would act unfairly. Maybe when him and the twins hid what Philip did from Rachel the first time round, that everyone else had followed suit.

Maybe they had been so focused on being a proper family that they had left Philip by the wayside, with his family life falling apart again.

"Where is Philip?" Eddie asked.

"No idea. Shall I find him?"

"Go and tell your mum what you just told me and then find Philip. If we don't have to get the authority involved, the better."

Jamie went off to do as he was told and Eddie still made his way to the kitchen, just making sure that Candice wasn't involved in any shape or form. Although, he was sure that she wouldn't have done anything on purpose to make the kids ill as she was feeding her own child as well.

With Eddie feeling like Candice hadn't done anything wrong, his next job was to find Jamie to see what he had found out. Instead, he came face to face with an equally worried and annoyed Rachel who pulled him into a nearby classroom.

"James was right." She said.

"About?"

"Philip. He put laxatives in the chocolate bloody brownies!"

"Has he admitted it?"

"He was telling James and I found them when he did say what he had done." Rachel let out a shaky breath. "I had a massive go at him about it and he ran off with James following. Then… Then I hear that." She stopped. "How much have you hidden from me about Philip?" The anger now directed at him.

"Only the Sarah-Leanne thing."

"The Sarah-Leanne thing?"

"We… Jamie was certain that Bolton and Paul pushed Philip so that he almost sexually assaulted Sarah-Leanne. Jamie stopped that from happening and… stopped Kim from saying anything to you. That is it. I had a word with Philip. And I also sorted out Bolton and Paul. I'm sorry. It was a decision that we made at the time because we knew that you were worrying about me, Amelia, Melissa and Philip. We… we didn't want to give you anything else. Maybe we should have told you."

"That's it?"

"Yes. I am sorry."

"Not… Not about him back chatting teachers or falling asleep in lessons or how he spent one full week in the cooler just before the exams?"

Eddie was sure that the pitch of Rachel's voice changed because of the look of confusion on his face. His earlier thought that they had let Philip fall to the wayside was probably true and he was unsure why it wouldn't have been brought to their attention.

"You don't…" Rachel started.

"No, I don't know. He seemed perfectly fine in my classes. Asking and answering questions."

"But you are practically his uncle."

"So what's going on then?"

"I think… I think I'm going to have to call Melissa in, aren't I?"

"Did you call the authority?"

"I was being put through when James burst into my office. He forced me to hang up."

"Then this can still be dealt in house. Look, I'll find Philip and see if I can get anything out of him."

"And Melissa?"

"As much as I don't want to see her," Eddie said, leaving the second half unsaid.

"Nor do I. But if something is going on, I think there is the best place to start. Given history."

"I'll be with you in a bit. I promise. You aren't going to face her by yourself."

"I just… if it is something to do with Melissa, I don't know what else I can say to her to get her to change."

Eddie didn't want to tell her that he didn't think that Melissa would ever change. Mainly because she was 34 years old and he knew year sevens that were more grown-up. This should have been something that they should have looked out for. And Philip might be paying the price for it.

Just by the tone of Melissa's voice on the phone, Rachel was sure that Melissa wanted this meeting to happen as much as she did and it seemed to take a lot to actually get Melissa to agree to come.

In that time, Eddie had found out that Philip had done it as some sort of revenge. From people taking the mickey out of him to them asking him whether he knew what Earl was planning with Maxine. Rachel had never thought about the whole Maxine thing, with her finding it hard to believe that anyone would believe that Philip had any involvement with Maxine's death. Although, as much as justice was served with Earl going down for murder, Rachel was sure that people just blamed Philip because they couldn't say what they wanted to say to Earl (not that it was any excuse and Rachel wished that Philip could have come to her about it all).

Which is what she told him as she sat him down on the sofa to talk to him and to apologise for her outburst. And what could have been another telling off became a rather honest chat with Philip saying that he asked no one to say anything because he didn't want to be like his mum and destroy the happiness that Rachel was having.

Rachel's vision landed on Eddie, knowing that they were both asking themselves the same question. How did they miss it?

And Melissa could have helped herself out a bit. By not being so blase about the whole thing, once she arrived.

"What is going on?" Rachel asked.

"What do you mean?" Melissa said.

Rachel gestured to where Philip was, still on the sofa. "His behaviour. You are the one that sees him every day."

"So do you."

"I might do but I have 600 other students here to worry about. You only have Philip at home."

Melissa tutted and Rachel was more than sure that she wasn't going to like the next thing that she was going to say.

"That is where I think you go wrong, Rachel. So what? He has friends and he goes out with them. I have barely seen him in the last month or so. Just because your two have always been swots doesn't mean that Philip is the same."

"Melissa, have you just heard what you've just said? You've barely seen him. Doesn't that sort of behaviour just sound like he is crying out for attention and you've just ignored it? Yes, he should go out with friends, but when they are really his friends. Because his behaviour has completely changed. His grades have slipped. God only knows how well he has actually done in his GSCEs. And you've done nothing."

"Have you heard yourself? He can retake his exams. He can't retake his childhood."

Dumfounded. That was how Rachel felt and she was sure it must have been clear in her face. How could Melissa say that? How could she be so utterly unconcerned about this? She was also certain that her comment about the 'friends' that Philip was going out with was either a lie that Philip told Melissa or something that Melissa had just presumed. Rachel knew that it was too late for them to be intervening now but she felt duty-bound, as both Philip's auntie and headteacher, to work out what was going on.

"Eddie, can you take Philip to the cooler?" Rachel said as she turned away from her sister, rubbing a hand over her forehead as she was sure that the next part of the conversation was going to give her a headache. "And get James or Amelia to talk to him." She muttered as Eddie went to pass her.

The door to her office was gently closed and she waited for the antechamber door to close as well before she turned back to Melissa.

"Haven't you learnt anything?" Rachel asked.

"What do you mean?"

"From what I said when we were in Liverpool to… what happened to you. Come on Melissa. I've always used what I went through as the driving force to how I wanted James and Amelia's life to be. I wanted it to be the opposite of what happened to me. I wanted them to get an education so that they didn't have to fight for the opportunities that I have had. Give them good solid foundations so that they could be whatever they wanted to be. This attitude that you have… It's no better than Dad's attitude.

"You are his mum, Melissa. You are meant to try and protect him from the world. You aren't meant to be setting him up for failure. Yes, he can retake his exams but life is easier if it happens the first time around. And I can talk from experience. Having to better my English and Maths grades before I could get my A levels. Trying to rush through university because I needed to get a steady salary. What decisions did you make when you were released out into the big bad world? Or was Mark a saviour because at least he could look after you?"

Rachel didn't mean to sip out her last question as it was the spite that Melissa didn't have to raise Philip on her own like Rachel had to raise the twins on her own. But the more Melissa spoke and the excuses that she gave for everything, Rachel felt like her jealousy was well placed. Well placed in a way that Melissa always had someone else with her. And Rachel listened. She listened to how Melissa never really raised Philip and that she actually needed a man on the scene just as someone to watch out for Philip. And the more Melissa talked, the more Rachel wished that she had seen it all so much earlier.