Hello, thank you so much to everyone for the reviews, they are always lovely to read.

Here is chapter nine - I hope you enjoy it !

Let me know what you guys think :)

Realising the local pub would be full of Waterloo Road's finest members of staff, Eddie and Rachel decided on a quiet but suitable pub just outside of Rochdale. Ironically, it was Adam who had first introduced her to it, but it was the first place to cross Rachel's mind; it was a lovely little spot after all. Stepping out of Rachel's car together, the pair couldn't help but notice how natural it felt for them to be walking side by side into a public place. Once again, this caused Eddie to severely curse himself for ever getting involved with Melissa. He had to stop that mindset though, by the grace of god - he had been given a second chance with the love of his life, he didn't want to take that for granted under any circumstances. His deep thought process was only reinforced by the warm smile from Rachel that he had missed so much, as they made an entrance to the surprisingly busy pub. Suddenly, Rachel stopped dead in her tracks - remnants of the beam quickly discarded.

'What is it Rach? Everything okay?' Eddie queried, not even attempting to hide his sheer concern.

'I - erm…' Rachel couldn't even bring herself to answer before ushering Eddie out of the door - into the mild summers night.

Tilting his head, Eddie waited for a response patiently.

'Adam,' with Rachel's vagueness, Eddie flashed her a puzzled luck, quickly comprehending that she was clearly struggling to get her words out.

'It's okay Rachel, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to,' he gently spoke, supportively resting his hand on her arm.

'No - It's not that, it's just hard to talk about. Still raw,' Rachel stuttered, responding to Eddie's hand by placing her own on his shoulder - guiding him back to her car where she gathered she'd be more comfortable to speak.

Once settled, Rachel had composed herself, 'he was in there. With Ruby.'

'Oh Rachel,' Eddie noted with sincerity, leaning closer to her, 'I'm so sorry.'

Tears glistened in her eyes at Eddie's kindness, threatening to fall, 'do you know, I'm not even sure if I did love him Eddie. It's kind of like what you said after Melissa I suppose. You know, I just didn't want to be alone anymore. Life was so lonely without you.'

His heart instantly broke, unsure of how to feel. Not for the first time that day, he questioned his actions of the past year. Why didn't he come back for her? Moving on instinct, Eddie cupped Rachel's cheek delicately - shifting as close to her as possible, given their restrictions sat in the seats of the car. Ducking his head so that it was level with hers, Eddie allowed his lips to touch Rachel's, instantly feeling that spark he had missed so much. At first, he worried she was taken aback, that this wasn't what she wanted. Rachel, on the other hand, was taking a moment to devise herself before responding to Eddie's gesture with equal love and affection. She wanted to show him how much she appreciated him - even if he had only been back in her life less than a day. Reluctantly pulling away for air, Eddie kept his arm wrapped around Rachel's neck - never wanting to let her go again.

'I hope that made you feel better. You're not alone anymore,' he finally decided to whisper; only a few centimetres away from her lips.

Rachel nodded slowly, wanting to express her feelings further so that Eddie would understand, 'it upsets me because it reinforced what I felt before I was Rachel Mason. He has made me feel so worthless - that no one could ever want me. I mean I don't blame him but, equally, that didn't stop it from hurting.'

'You are far from worthless. I want you,' he brought his hand down to her upper arm, squeezing it in the hope of reassuring her, 'I love you. I always have loved you Rachel. I doubt I will stop.'

'What exactly did I do to deserve you. Hm?' She questioned, tracing her fingers through his hair. Just incase he hadn't made it clear, Rachel leant forwards so that her mouth was almost brushing his ear, 'I love you too.'

Lost in the moment, Eddie and Rachel hadn't acknowledged just how long they had been wrapped up in their own little world - basking in their affection and admiration for one another.

'Do you know Eddie,' Rachel commented, allowing a stifled laugh to escape, 'we still haven't done your interview!'

'Guess you're gonna just have to give me the job then. Personal circumstances,' he joked, teasing Rachel with a look that made her weak at the knees.

'Oi cheeky.' She elbowed him gently in the ribs, only just realising that it felt as if they'd never been apart. 'Seriously though Eddie, that interview has to be done,'

He threw her a knowing smile, noticing the familiar look of headteacher mode furrowing across Rachel's expression.

'Do you reckon my house is too informal for an interview?' She beamed, half serious, half not.

'Not at all.'

Eddie was shocked at Rachel's openness towards him, having said that, he certainly wasn't complaining. After thinking about it, he gathered that she was feeling similar things to him - she clearly saw a second shot for them and was more than willing to take it.

Even though the summer holidays had officially commenced, Rachel and Kim had agreed to meet over the weekend - in order to discuss the applicants and ultimately come to a final decision for Deputy Head.

'So?' Kim grinned as her and Rachel took a seat at a cafe in town, 'how did things go with Eddie?'

'You know Kim, I'm sure we are supposed to be discussing all the applicants. Not just Eddie Lawson,' the pair erupted into laughter, Kim knowing fine well that Rachel wasn't serious.

'Alright alright,' Kim held her hands up, 'guilty as charged. Seriously though, I do want to know how that little chat with him went…'

'Let's just say, it went as well as possible, given the circumstances,' Rachel attempted to stifle a smile, eventually failing, 'on a serious note though. His interview was good. Great even. And I'm not just saying that.'

'I don't doubt that for a second Rachel.' Kim stated, allowing her previous laughter to settle into a more momentous expression, 'im aware that the other candidates weren't … the best. Obviously Mr Lawson has previous experience at the school, that always comes in handy at a place like Waterloo road. Believe me.' Kim chuckled, referencing to her own return.

'Mmm, you've got a point there. To be honest, Kim, I'd say it's between Eddie and Jack Bower. Jack had some fabulous ideas, and you know, he seemed to be really passionate about them. Sitting back to look at the bigger picture though, I genuinely can't see where he fits in at Waterloo Road. Surely that's the key to an excellent Deputy?'

'Agreed. I mean, looking at Jack's previous schools,' Kim nodded profusely, glancing at a sheet of paper, 'Candall High, James White Academy, they're all a world away from Waterloo Road.'

Tilting her head to the side, Rachel ended up dropping a nod in agreement. Waterloo Road needed someone who would be prepared to face any challenge thrown at them. She already had several bouts of evidence to show Eddie Lawson was more than capable of just that.

'It's decided then,' Kim stated, practically reading her bosses thoughts, 'Eddie Lawson is our new deputy head.'