All I can say is sorry for the delay in updating! I''ll try not to leave it as long until the next one.

Please enjoy this :) x

A Panic Like No Other

It wasn't long before Eddie made an appearance, poking his head around the door, eyes widening as he noticed Rachel's fury filled expression and the tears threatening to fall down Philip's face.

"What the hell happened?" He turned to the boy, "are you alright lad?"

Yet he only received a curt shake of the head in response, Rachel shifting to face him fully.

"I can't quite believe this Eddie. I knew Max was a nasty piece of work but I…"

"Hey," he kept his tone purposefully soft, knowing that pushing Rachel would do no good. Eddie's hands rested lightly on her shoulders as she looked up at him - panicked. Much like the day that a gun had been found in the school. Eddie shuddered at the memory, "breathe. What's happened?"

He watched as she visibly relaxed under his apparently calming gaze; him remaining patient even as his mind jumped to the world's worst conclusions.

Rachel's voice was far less frantic once she resumed speech moments later, "he assaulted Philip. At school, at a place he's supposed to feel safe, with people he's supposed to feel safe with."

Eddie didn't render himself speechless often, but wow was he speechless as his mind processed Rachel's words.

His mouth was clamped shut as he risked a glance at the boy in question, hating Max even more for the way Philip's head was hung, his demeanor entirely defeated. This was a world away from the person Rachel's nephew had reached under her care. He'd become more confident, more outgoing, more open minded. But now… now it seemed as though the executive head from hell and knocked that all backwards. And understandably, Eddie pondered.

"Tell us what happened Phil, word for word," Eddie's tone was mechanical but as soft as he could possibly manage, given the anger that was rushing through his veins. They needed to gather a timeline of events though, they needed to do that if Max was going to pay for this.

Yet Philip was already shaking her head violently, Rachel looking incredibly concerned at the boy's response.

"No. We can't. We aren't telling the police… or…. or anything."

Rachel and Eddie shared an alarmed glance. The former was more than a little worried that this would be the case, but that didn't halt her from getting to the bottom of why.

"Why not, love?" She took a step forward, immediately missing the warmth of Eddie's hand on her back, yet knowing that her nephew was of pivotal importance in that moment.

Philip himself was running Max's words over and over in his head. As much as he wanted to see him locked up behind bars, or at least see his teaching career go down the drain - Philip had to look out for his aunt first and foremost. He knew that his executive head teacher was more than capable of twisting the situation; and that was just about enough to tip Philip over the edge.

It was at that you-could-cut-the-tension-with-a-knife moment that cries sounded from the monitor in Rachel's hand. She glanced down at it momentarily, before leveling her gaze with Eddie's - only to find understanding at a set concern there. Rachel was about to speak, to tell Philip that she'd only be a moment when she was beaten to it.

"I'll go and see to the girls," Eddie's voice was soft and genuine, and it had Rachel's heart doing somersaults as she realised once again how far he'd come. She opened her mouth to at least protest, to offer her assistance; but he could pre-empt and read her like a book, she knew.

"It's okay, Rach, you speak with Phil."

Rachel smiled a smile that she knew Eddie would interpret as thanks and more, before turning to her nephew - avoiding the delay of the inevitable.

"Why don't you want to report this, Philip?"

The boy was continuously wringing his hands together so much that Rachel worried he was going to hurt himself. It only heightened her anxiety.

"Tyler said he wants you out of a job. And if… if I reported him… he'd just deny it. Say I was doing it to protect you."

Now Philip's reluctance made a whole lot of sense. It just begged the question; where on earth did they go from here? And then a thought occurred to Rachel, one which made her mind swim with guilt. In the face of no obvious injuries on Philip's being, she had automatically jumped to the next most important thing. Establishing their future steps. But what if…

"Did he hurt you? Are you hurt?"

"It's nothing that… can't be solved with a bit of ibuprofen," Phil responded, never meeting her gaze as his eyes skittered this way and that. Rachel reached out a hand, smoothing a palm over his upper arm. She kept hold of her questioning gaze, willing for Philip to expand on what Max had forced him to endure.

"He threw me against the filing cabinet. In your office," he blurted out - somewhat uncharacteristically - after a long and painful silence.

Rachel knew her entire expression had darkened, clouding over with an immense rage without having to even glimpse in the mirror.

She raised both her hands on instinct, cupping Philip's face as her fury was replaced with tear filled eyes in the face of her nephew's distress. Someone who she'd always vowed to look after. How did it get to this?

"I don't care about my job, Phil, you're more important than that. And we can't… we can't let Mr Tyler get away with this. We are going to the police - "

"No Rach - no… there has to be… another way. You aren't losing a job I know you care about over this. You… you belong at Waterloo Road. Everyone knows that. Can't leave the place to… to him."

Rachel visibly slumped, "then what are we going to do?" her voice was barely a whisper, with a tremor that had been impossible to conceal.

Philip didn't know. But he did know one thing - to have Tyler instead of his aunt in charge of Waterloo Road wasn't even an option.

….

Rachel took comfort from the warmth of Eddie's arms as they slid around her middle. It was something which always relaxed her brain; yet even more so today with his chin resting in the crook of her neck - a million messages passing between them whilst making eye contact in the mirror.

His lips lowered to her skin - pressing to her neck, her collar bone before he must have felt the shiver pass through her, because he smiled against her.

"You're not making this easy for me," she smirked, with just a lilt of amusement to her tone.

Eddie's smile grew once more, because his motives had been discovered. The weekend had passed and it was Monday once more, yet not much had been done about the Max Tyler debacle. Philip was once more under their roof, which was lovely; especially now, when he was keeping a watchful eye over his sisters whilst Eddie had this all important conversation with Rachel.

He wasn't exactly happy about her going into school to face the executive head alone, and he intended to express that opinion.

"Do you really have to go in today?"

"Eddie, darling, you know I do."

Try as he might, Eddie couldn't hide the upward tilt of his lips at Rachel's affection reference to him. Yet he wasn't going to let that distract him, not for long anyway.

"I don't want you alone with Max, he's dangerous!"

She waved a hand, looking unbothered on the surface, but Eddie knew different, "I've spent several months with him now. I know… the sort of thing which makes him snap. You know, I'm not about to get on the wrong side of him."

He almost spluttered at her laid-back approach, "Rachel-! That's supposed to make me feel better is it?"

She sighed lightly, understanding Eddie's concern entirely. The majority of her comments were a front - if Rachel was honest, she was absolutely terrified at the thought of coming face to face with Max, sharing meetings with him. Not to mention the plans she'd kept to herself, plans to confront Max about what he'd done to Philip. Rachel wasn't about to admit her idea to Eddie; he'd never let her go through with it. What was the worst that could happen?

She turned in his arms, bringing her own up to link behind his neck, "I'll be home tonight before you know it, Lawson."

He rolled his eyes slightly, yet there was an affection laced behind the gesture as he lowered his mouth to hers; making Rachel forget what day it was, never mind Max Tyler and the threat he posed.

Eddie didn't pull back entirely as their mouths parted, resting his forehead against hers, "what are we going to do about Max, though? You can't tip toe around him forever."

"I know, I'll figure it out. I just… don't want you getting caught up in my mess."

"Your mess is my mess, Rach."

The comment caused her to grin so much she had to bite her lip, "I like that."

Rachel squealed as Eddie brought her close to him, lifting her off her feet slightly, "so do I. Very much."

…..

She'd waited for the entire day - endured an hour long senior leadership meeting, sat through a lecture from Max. Yet now was the time. Rachel was ready to reveal exactly what she knew about him, and exactly what she intended to do about it.

Pupils had long since parted from the building; perhaps only the odd teacher remained - catching up on marking and the like. Max was one person she knew to be present still. A governor's meeting they'd attended just five minutes previous gave Rachel the answer to that.

It was as the man himself was strolling towards her that she knew now was the time. Perhaps at the top of the stairs, just outside her former office in the corridor wasn't the best place for the conversation - but that was where they were. Rachel worried that she wouldn't go through with her plans if she didn't bite the bullet now.

"Max," she said matter of factly once he was a metre or so away, "could I have a word?"

"As long as it won't take up too much of my time. I've got a dinner reservation I need to be getting to."

With Kim? She wanted to question, "ah. I see. Well," Rachel took a step closer, tone icy and full of the venom she felt whenever thinking of what this man had put her nephew through, "I want you to know, Max, that I'm not letting you get away with what happened between yourself and Philip."

For a moment, disbelief flickered across his expression, and then it was almost robotic, the way he switched to his default demeanour.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh I think we both know what I'm talking about, Max. Something to do with you pushing Philip into a filing cabinet last week. Or did I just imagine the bruise on his back?"

His expression flickered once more, and just as Rachel thought she'd got him, it was he who took a step closer - so much so that he was towering over her. All of a sudden she was wishing she'd done this in the middle of the day.

"One call Rachel, and I'll have you out of a job, and Philip out of an education. No A-levels for him, no headship for you."

A shiver which had nothing to do with the open windows slid down her spine, Eddie's words echoing in her mind. I don't want you alone with Max, he's dangerous! Right now, Rachel was regretting her decision of not letting Eddie persuade her to stay at home; fight this from a far.

There was just enough room for her to squeeze past him, in a move that put her dangerously close to the steps. Rachel half presumed she'd got away, when all of a sudden, she felt the piercing grip of Max's fingers on her upper arm as he twisted her towards her.

Rachel grunted in pain, biting down on her cheek in an attempt to clear the feeling which seared through her arm as Max twisted it further. He pushed her against the railing, pushing her wrist back against the top of it. What was he playing at?

She couldn't help but cry out fully this time as she felt - heard - her wrist crack. Rachel's eyes rolled back into her sockets, unable to stop the way her body relaxed, sliding down the railing.

Her eyes had been shut for she didn't know how long, her wrist - she was unable to move - which confirmed exactly what Max had done to it. Max. Was he still here?

Rachel opened her eyes cautiously, somewhat relieved yet confused to find an empty corridor. That was until she heard a click of heels, taking some solace in knowing the executive head's shoes didn't make that noise.

But the last person Rachel had been expecting to be in school past five pm was Steph Haydock.

"Rachel?! Did you know it's not normal to hide in places where people can't see you?" The woman's hand was pressed to her chest, face in a comical expression as she processed her headteacher slumped on the floor. When her reaction didn't provoke even a smile from Rachel herself however, Steph frowned, "are you alright?"

Rachel was somewhat taken aback by the genuine concern which laced the French teacher's tone. Yet her confusion was quickly replaced by guilt - despite the pair of them never really seeing eye to eye, Steph was far from a cruel person. In fact, she was something of a familiar presence following the months of Eddie's departure.

She smiled stiffly, making a move to get up with her undamaged hand, but she winced, and Steph stopped her in her tracks.

"Hey, stop where you are. What the hell happened?" She queried as she lowered herself down next to her.

"Never mind that," Rachel attempted to keep her tone enunciated, finding it difficult to ignore the dull ache which the injury in her arm had acquired, "what are you doing in school at this hour?"

She waved a hand whilst making a face, "oh, it's Jo's birthday tomorrow, I've been setting up the staff room. Balloons and all."

"Oh wow…. lucky Jo hm?"

"Just wait till you see her face!" There was a pause, "you're not going to distract me that easily, missy. What's up with your wrist?"

"Oh it's… nothing really Steph. I need to… phone...Eddie."

Rachel almost clamped a hand to her mouth upon realising her mistake. Since when could she not control her speech?

"Eddie?" Steph was smirking, her expression was alight, "so. Our former deputy head is back on the scene is he?"

"It's a long story, Steph. If you could just… help me up."

The woman nodded approvingly, "on the understanding that we can continue this conversation in the morning over a good old coffee."

"We'll see about that," Rachel sighed, chuckling slightly as Steph pulled her to her feet.

"Eddie Lawson… well I never. I always knew I was right in placing the pair of you as a match."

At that, Rachel couldn't help but smile widely - broken wrist or not.