(A/N): Okay, here is the next instalment, with a massive thanks to those who have reviewed already. You give me the confidence to continue with my writing, no matter what it is. No Alia in this chapter, and Chlo is in this chapter a lot along with Philip, but I hope I made it believable. I really dislike rewatching most of the first half of series 4, as I really don't like Melissa, so if things seem a little off, it's because I haven't watched those episodes in a while. Obviously, as an AU, I can manipulate things to how I see fit, but as always, please let me know what you think. Sorry for the ramblings haha.

HeavenSkye x

What The Heart Wants

Chapter 2

"Philip, can I have a word?" Rachel called down the corridor. It was lunch, and was the first opportunity Rachel had found to get out of her office and find her nephew. Philip stopped and turned round, his face imploring and curious, not the usual expression of the boy that was generally more than a little embarrassed that his aunt was the headmistress of his school.

"What's up?" Philip asked as he approached her, neither noticing Eddie walk out of his classroom in curiosity when he'd heard Rachel shout her nephew, well in earshot. He hadn't seen much of Rachel since he'd started seeing Melissa, and he was anxious to get information on the woman he loved in any way possible, even if it meant eavesdropping on her conversation with her nephew.

"Ali said to tell you that we'll think of something. And that you'll both explain this to me over the weekend." Rachel informed him, watching Philip's face as it relaxed in relief. "Philip, are you sure you're okay? Ali sounded a little panicked on the phone."

"No, yeah, I'm fine. I'll come round on Saturday if that's alright."

"Yeah, Ali has weekends off right now, so it's fine. Eleven o'clock?"

"Yeah, sounds good. And Rach?"

"Yeah, Phil?"

"Thanks." Philip smiled briefly at his aunt before rushing off towards the canteen to eat, a weight lifted from his shoulders at the knowledge that his aunt and cousin would help him out with the problem he faced.

"Rachel?" Eddie spoke up just as Rachel moved to go back to her office. Rachel jumped, having only just realised he was there and hoped he hadn't heard what she'd told Philip. She had promised Alia she wouldn't tell Eddie anything yet after all.

"Eddie."

"What was all that about with Phil?" Eddie asked, trying to get Rachel to open up in any way possible, however, his question only caused her to clam up, not wanting to betray either Alia's or Philip's confidences, even if she didn't know what it was about.

"I don't know what you're on about Eddie."

"Okay, different question; who's Ali?" Eddie asked, silently hoping it wasn't a man in Rachel's life. He knew it was unfair, especially as he was with Melissa, but he didn't think he could bear the thought of Rachel with another man.

"What? No-one." Rachel blushed at the lie. She didn't want to lie about her daughter, but as Alia didn't really like attention and Rachel didn't like telling people about herself, not many people actually knew about Alia. Obviously, a lot of people knew about Lia, but even fewer people knew that Lia was Alia and vice versa, let alone Rachel's relation to her. On more than one occasion, Rachel had been tempted to tell Eddie the truth about Alia, but she'd wanted him to get used to her past first before she dropped any more bombshells on him.

"But…" Eddie began, only to be cut off as Chlo Grainger called out for Rachel.

"Miss Mason, can I have a word?"

Rachel nodded, sending an apologetic look Eddie's way before moving towards her office to talk to Chlo. "What's up Chlo?"

"I dunno, I just figured…" Chlo trailed off, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "I wanted to ask something."

"Ask away."

"Well, you know when you make a mistake you can't get rid of…" Chlo trailed off again as Rachel felt herself fill with dread. After discovering that Rachel was an ex-prostitute, the students had been far more open with their mistakes and wrong turns, knowing that Rachel wouldn't judge them for it, and would most likely help them out, but Rachel still felt dread every time it happened, waiting for that one problem that she couldn't help with or for some poor child that inadvertently followed in her footsteps.

"What's wrong, Chlo?"

"Well, how do you live with it?"

"Live with what?"

Chlo looked at the ground and mumbled something. Rachel frowned. Chlo looked up and blushed when she realised she'd spoken too low for Rachel to hear her. "I'm, uh, pregnant. And it's Donte's." She added hurriedly, as though there was some unspoken doubt she had to address. Rachel felt her eyes go wide as she ushered Chlo into her office and shut the door.

"Ah, does Donte know?"

"No, and before you ask, neither does Tom or anyone else. I just, don't know what to do." Chlo burst into tears as Rachel helped her sit on the couch in the corner of the office and produced some tissues for the distraught teenager.

"Hey, it'll be okay Chlo." Rachel reassured the seventeen year old as she sat down beside her. "People have babies all the time."

"But miss, I don't know if I can do this!" Chlo wailed, mascara running as she looked up at Rachel with wide, scared eyes. "How can I carry on, just another teenage mum?"

"Not if you don't want to." Rachel supplied helpfully, sighing as she put an arm around Chlo's shoulder in an attempt to comfort the teenage girl. "Look, you have options on whether you want to keep the baby or not, but Chlo, even if you keep it, you can still do whatever you want. You don't have to give up on your dreams, love."

"What?" Chlo whispered, looking disbelievingly at her head teacher as one hand moved instinctively to her stomach. "I, I don't know, I think I want to keep it, but…"

"You don't think you're ready for it."

"Yeah, something like that." Chlo sighed, finally getting a hold on her tears. "I can't do anything now, miss. I'll always be a mum first and anything else second."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you can't multitask." Rachel sighed, realising the empty words weren't getting through to Chlo. "Listen, Chlo, I'm about to tell you something private, okay? I know how you feel because I've been there."

"You got pregnant miss?" Chlo asked in confusion. Rachel nodded.

"Yeah, I've got a little girl. Well, not so little anymore, but still. I got pregnant halfway through my A2 year, a bit like you Chlo. I thought my life was over, but I went to Uni, got my degree and still managed to be there for my little girl." Rachel spewed out in a rush. Chlo stared at her, shocked.

"How-how did you do it, miss?" Chlo asked hopefully, her future not looking as bleak when she knew she wasn't alone. She didn't really know what had made her seek out her head instead of someone, anyone, else, but now she was glad she had done.

"A lot of hard work and a supportive boyfriend." Rachel returned evenly. "And whilst it may not have been ideal trying to juggle everything all at once, I wouldn't change it for the world."

"Why not?"

"Changing things would mean that I wouldn't have my little girl, and I wouldn't give her up ever."

"Okay." Chlo stood up, a new confidence in her posture as she felt happy once more. "Miss, can you come with me when I tell Tom? I don't think I can do it on my own."

"Of course." Rachel stood up beside the girl. "Are you sure you want me there?"

"Yeah miss." Chlo led the way from the office before waiting to fall into step with Rachel as they walked along the corridor to Tom's classroom, who had a free that period and was spending it marking in his room rather than the staffroom. "Miss, what's your daughter called?"

"Alia." Rachel responded, silently debating whether it had been a good idea to tell the seventeen year old about her daughter. Chlo smiled shyly up at her.

"Sounds like a nice name. Don't worry, miss, I won't tell anyone about Alia until you do." Chlo assured her teacher as they approached the door to Tom's classroom. Chlo took a deep breath, nervous once more, though not nearly as much now she knew she had support and someone to talk things through with already, even if Tom took it badly. Rachel smiled reassuringly at the teenager as she pushed open the door, allowing Chlo in first as Rachel shut the door behind them.

Tom looked up from his marking, instantly worried when he saw Chlo was with Rachel and not alone, as she usually would be when she simply wanted to talk. "Uh, Miss Mason, is Chlo in trouble?"

Rachel shook her head, nudging Chlo forwards a little. "Not at all, Tom. I'm only here because Chlo asked me to be." Rachel perched herself on the desk nearest the door, sending another reassuring look to Chlo, who stood halfway between Tom and Rachel, fidgeting with the hem of her school shirt again, not daring to look Tom in the eyes.

"Chlo, what's wrong sweetheart?" Tom asked in concern. Chlo stayed with her face towards the ground and mumbled much the same as she had with Rachel, however that time Rachel heard whereas Tom didn't. "Chlo, can you repeat that for me?"

Chlo took a deep breath, and after another glance at Rachel, who nodded, let it all out in a rush. "I'm pregnant and its Donte's and I'm still chasing my dreams."

TBC?