Thank you for the reviews.

This chapter kind of follows the events of series 5 episode 2 ... but kind of doesn't at the same time. You'll understand what I mean when you read it :)

Please enjoy x

Chapter 37: Another Thing to Accept

Even as he walked into school with Bolton and Paul, Philip felt on edge. He hadn't seen Max as of yet, which actually made him even more alert when it came to looking out for him. Philip knew that his two friends were wondering why he was being the way he was. Just he couldn't tell them. He had found it hard enough talking to Rachel about what Max did to him all those years ago. It would be impossible to do the same with Bolton and Paul, no matter what good friends they'd become.

The only thing he had revealed since telling them of Mollie was his mum's return. Because he didn't really have much choice, they were bound to see her sooner or later. And he'd rather come clean than get loads of questions. The thought of Melissa at Waterloo Road again sickened Philip, but he knew that it was something that he would just have to accept.

As they rounded the corner, Philip found himself almost crashing into someone. It was sod's law that it was Melissa. Of course it was her. He really wasn't having much luck at the moment.

Philip saw Bolton and Paul stiffen out of the corner of his eye. Apparently they were feeling just as awkward as he was. Philip knew that he had to talk to his mum, he couldn't just run away when she was centimetres from him. But he also knew that his two friends couldn't be privy to the conversation. Because then they would know everything. Because Max was bound to crop up as a discussion.

"I'll see you two later. Tell Budgen I… had to go back home for homework or something."

They looked slightly torn and Philip was glad that they obviously cared about him. Maybe he would find it in him to tell them about Max one day, but he wasn't ready yet. Something else he just had to accept. They walked away with their usual goodbyes, and as most people started to make their way to registration, Philip and his mum were left more or less alone in the corridor.

From the expression on Melissa's face, she wasn't going to start the conversation. Philip sighed internally. Why did he always have to make amends? Wasn't she meant to be the adult here?

"Wh… why are you here?"

"Head of extended services? Max got me my old job back. Thought Rachel would have told you - ''

"Look, will you just shut up for one second. I already know… all of that, okay?"

"Well then, love… I don't understand?"

He couldn't resist a scoff, "no, you never do."

"I knew Rachel had replaced me but I didn't think she would turn you against me so quickly."

Philip could feel his expression contorting into a scowl, "stop trying to pass the blame mum. For god's sake… this isn't about Rachel. This is about you… leaving me. This is about you… getting back with Mollie's dad…"

"Calm down Philip… we will sort this. I've missed you."

He held a hand up to stop her coming closer, "no don't try that with me… it's not gonna work. It's just not, okay? I mean… what are you doing here? Why are you back?"

"I already told you - ''

"The real reason. Because… we know you've been threatening Julie."

That caught her up short. Melissa's eyes flicked up to his, and she looked thoughtful for the first time in the conversation.

"Mollie's our daughter Phil. What do you expect?"

"No she's not mum. You lost that right when you gave Julie money to look after her. She… she is her mum."

"You really have turned against me now haven't you?"

"Alright… yes!"

They paused, and Philip thought for a split second that Melissa was just going to turn on her heel and walk away. It wouldn't be the first time she had done that to him. She didn't, but it was clear she wasn't going to reply. So Philip took that as a cue to continue. He was on a roll.

"But maybe you should look at yourself instead of blaming Rachel. You left me! And you knew… all that time about what Max… what he did to me. And you didn't say a thing," he paused, "nah...I'm.. I'm done with you mum."

He couldn't stop her this time as she lurched forward, grabbing on to his blazer.

"Don't say that Phil. I love you! You're my little boy… of course I love you."

"Yeah?" Philip flinched, shrugging her off, "well you've got a funny way of showing it."

He ignored Melissa calling his name as he practically ran up the stairs. Philip wasn't going to look back now, because she certainly wouldn't have done that for him if the roles had been reversed.

….

Rachel had somehow managed to avoid Max for the most part of the morning. It was now approaching lunchtime, and she knew it was too good to be true. He was bound to make an appearance soon.

She was just glad that Eddie was on a free, sat beside her at the desk. Not that Max would think twice about telling him to get out when he walked in. It just made Rachel feel far more at ease.

"Wonder where the maniac is today then."

"Considering we are meant to be sharing this office now, I could not tell you. He's probably spending the duration of his morning with Melissa."

"Oh how very professional of him?"

Rachel couldn't help but smile now. It was true. Max definitely had a nerve calling her and Eddie unprofessional when he brought Melissa in with no interviewing whatsoever. It would be interesting to see if the LEA knew of their partnership. Something Rachel would have to investigate. Just she would need more evidence, before she went in all guns blazing. It would be extremely easy for Max to just deny her accusations. But maybe if the LEA did know, they wouldn't be as keen to applaud his decision, as Max had put it.

"My thoughts exactly."

"Have you actually seen Melissa this morning?"

"Unfortunately," Rachel raised her eyebrows, "I had a rather awkward encounter with her in the staff room. Let's just hope Philip hasn't crossed paths with her."

He hummed in agreement, "it's bound to happen sooner or later."

Their conversation was cut short by Max making an entrance. Just as Rachel had thought the previous day, he most certainly didn't knock. She knew that her Max-free morning was too good to be true.

"What's bound to happen?"

Rachel and Eddie shared a look and she knew him so well that she could just tell that he was dying to say something like 'my fist is bound to collide with your face.' It would just be an Eddie thing to do in that situation. Rachel swallowed down her laughter and brought her gaze back up to Max's, attempting to paint on the most neutral expression possible.

"Don't worry, it's nothing that you will need to concern yourself with."

Rachel guessed that he was wanting to argue back, but she could also tell that there was something else he was going to criticise her or the pupils for.

"Never mind. I've got something else to concern myself with. Bolton Smilie. He has just sexually assaulted Amy Porter in the toilets."

"What?" She said as she stood up.

Rachel didn't need to turn to Eddie to know the expression that would be on his face. Bolton had turned a massive corner in the past two years, this was utterly out of character for him. Eddie would be just as taken aback by this as she was.

"Well where's Amy got to now?"

Eddie had stood up and was now rounding the desk towards Max. She knew he was trying to work out what on earth had gone on here. Just like Rachel was. Because they both knew how unlike Bolton this seemed.

"She's in with Kim."

"I'm sorry Max… but I just can't believe this of Bolton, can you Eddie?"

"It's completely out of character."

"Well let's just stick to the facts shall we," Max snarled, looking between them both.

Rachel was about to retaliate but it looked like Eddie had beaten her to it.

"Yeah, we should. And I'll tell you some facts about Bolton. All that boy is capable of, is low level disruption. He's turned himself around under Rachel's leadership."

"Low level disruption, is exactly the sort of behaviour that shouldn't be tolerated. Clearly, you both don't know that."

If at all possible, Eddie's scowl intensified. Rachel knew that Max had riled him up again, and she longed to step forward and place a hand on his arm. Something that she knew would calm him. But she also knew that it would be another thing to add to Max's list of unprofessionalism.

Rachel did step forward though and walk around the desk, hoping that her close proximity would be enough to stop Eddie from acting rash.

It worked and he turned to her as she was about to speak, his expression softening slightly.

"We are going to have to interview them both separately, so - ''

"It's likely that the police are going to have to be contacted once they have been spoken to."

Rachel knew that she was looking angered herself now, since Max had just interrupted her, and the frown on Eddie's face would most certainly be back.

"Okay… well let's start with talking to them both separately shall we? So I'll go and fetch Bolton, Eddie you go to Kim, tell her to get a full - ''

She was already walking out of the office but Max had followed her, once more interrupting her speech. Rachel turned around and knew she wouldn't have been able to hide the irritated expression on her face.

"I want you to let me lead this one. You do have a school to run after all."

"And surely this is part of that?"

"I can always bring Melissa in on it. I'm sure she would do an excellent job."

Eddie stepped forward now, making sure he was facing Max, "Melissa is head of extended services, this has got nothing to do with her."

"And Rachel is the head of this school. She has other responsibilities to focus on. Let's not forget who is in charge here."

Rachel had to think for a moment just how contradictory Max was being of himself. In one breath he was saying that she was incapable of running the school, and in the next he was putting her leadership of the school above everything else.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Max said as he stepped closer to her in the doorway, "I'll go and find Smilie. Eddie, you can talk to him with me and Melissa and Kim can get a statement off Amy."

Rachel could tell that Eddie wanted to refuse, to snap back to Max's comments. But he must have been remembering everything they had spoken about. Rachel actually took a small comfort from the fact that Eddie would be in with Bolton, at least he would give him a fair hearing.

"I should've seen this coming," Rachel turned to Eddie as Max stormed past her.

"How could you?"

"I should have known that Max would be like this. Try to… control everything and push me out."

"He's just… asserting his authority. The power has gone to his head. We just need to make sure, that we are making a record of all these little things. Soon, we will have enough evidence to show him for the man he really is. Just remember that he can't keep his pretend persona up forever."

"Yes… you're right, you're right. It's just Bolton I'm wracking my brains over now. This is just… so unlike him. Something's going on here, and I can't even find out what."

"You know I'm going to give him a fair hearing. Max isn't going to spoil everything we've achieved with Bolton that easily. Just leave it with me."

"Of course you will," she paused, looking at Eddie intently, "we can just be glad that Max didn't put you in with Melissa."

"Oh can you imagine? To be honest I don't know who's worse, Max or Melissa. They both make my blood boil."

Rachel smiled at Eddie as he placed a hand on her arm, repeating his earlier 'leave it with me' comment before walking away. She didn't know how Eddie did it, but he always said the right thing and could always calm her nerves.

She was left hoping that her instincts with Bolton were right. That he wasn't capable of something like this. Because the alternative would be something extra to add to the list of doom and gloom.

….

Philip knew that he had to say something. About how he knew that Bolton didn't do what he was being accused of by Amy. Philip had heard Amy and her little group of John Fosters friends plotting to stitch Bolton up. So Philip knew that he couldn't just leave it. Bolton was his friend for starters, and it would be morally wrong to let Amy get away with lying over something so huge.

But he was sitting in the library instead, questioning why on earth he couldn't work up the bottle to just approach someone about it. Yet Philip knew why. It was down to Max. Because he was leading the investigation for it and Philip would be throwing his attempts to avoid him out of the window.

Even as Philip felt sick at coming face to face with the man who used to hit him all those years ago, he couldn't stop thinking about Bolton. Word was that Max was getting the police involved. If that was true, there was no going back for him. Because Philip really didn't think that Amy and her clan were going to back down.

He was thinking over every other option. From getting someone else to do it, or an anonymous tip off. But neither of those would be as believable as Philip just going to tell Mr Tyler himself.

Once Philip had gone full circle with his thoughts, there was one musing that was standing out in his mind. He could not do that to Bolton.

So plucking up what little courage he had left, Philip made his way to his aunt's office. Perhaps hoping that Rachel would be in there rather than Max. But he knew he would have to speak with Mr Tyler eventually, since he had put himself in charge of it all. Just another one of the things Philip would have to accept.