Happy New Year everyone!
Thank you for all the reviews on A Lesson In Christmas.
This is a continuation of A Lesson In Christmas so if you haven't read that yet, I would recommend that you do or otherwise, I don't think this will make much sense.
The first part of this is set in the first part of ALIC (I haven't bothered to work out when) and then the second part is adding onto chapter 16 before we go onto New Year's Eve (I hope that makes some kind of sense or does once you start reading).
And just to make you aware, I do think that we will be revisiting this storyline. There will be a Wednesday Works in the summer to catch up with what would have happened after this chapter before, basically, doing the same as what I did this year... last year... for Christmas 2021. If that makes any sense. Basically, I am sick of thinking at the beginning of December that I will be okay to post every day and then getting to the end of December and finding myself writing chapters the day before or on the day that I am posting them. Pretty much my plan is to start it ASAP so I can finish it sooner. Whether or not that will happen is a completely different matter.
Anyway, please enjoy this.
A Midnight Kiss
Tom hadn't really been listening to Steph as he made his coffee after the morning briefing. Mainly because he knew that the topic of conversation would be about Rachel and Eddie and Steph's list of reasons as to why she thought that Rachel was unofficially back (something that Tom had heard daily since it was revealed that Rachel was back at work).
He only really had to look at Davina and know that she was also bored of the conversation. It was the only reason there was a bet between them all about whether Eddie and Rachel would get together or not. It was to shut Steph up. And it hadn't worked.
"I'm telling you now," Steph said as Tom zoned into the conversation as he dropped back into his seat. "She is only back because she was worried about who might be sniffing around dear old Mr Lawson."
"I really don't think it is that, Steph," Tom said.
"There is something there. You saw how Eddie was as he waited for her to come out of the school. I heard that he stayed until they pulled her body out of the rubble."
"He is second in command. He was busy with the police when I left."
"I do think Steph is onto something," Grantly said, his voice muffled by the paper he was reading. "The man was determined to get me at that governor's meeting. I would have thought that he would have been gagging for the job, not trying to save the job of our resident lady of the night."
Tom could look around the room and see a number of faces that were annoyed by Grantly's comment about Rachel's previous job. Although he knew that Grantly had sort of learnt his lesson, with Tom remembering the rant that Eddie gave Grantly when he had said something similar and Eddie had heard. It had sickened Tom to hear about how young Rachel was when it all started. 17 was the same age as Chlo was and he hated the idea of her having to do something like that to be able to put food on the table.
"Look, I think we all know Rachel a little bit better now," Tom said. "She knows where she can help make people make the right choices. When I asked her, she said that she was bored with being at home. I would be stir crazy as well if I felt well enough to go to work but was still signed off sick."
"But what if she does too much too soon?" Davina asked.
"Eddie's got her."
"Exactly. This is what I've been saying." Steph said.
"Okay, so that is from Eddie's side. But think of it from Rachel's. You've had your biggest secret announced to the world and then you've been trapped in a burning building. You've then been in a coma for a month before waking up, not knowing anything that has happened in the time you've been asleep. You don't know how the papers have painted you or that all the blackmail has come out. You don't really know who is a friend and who is trying to stab you in the back. That is why Nigel left. He wasn't prepared to stab her in the back while the rest of the governors were.
"And she was notified about the vote of no confidence. So that must have felt like a kick in the teeth. Or extremely confusing as to how she still had her job. And she was badly injured as well. I would have thought that, mentally, she wasn't okay. I mean, the whole English department saw what she was like that day. Completely unfocused on the task at hand. Both mental and physical injuries." Tom sighed. "If she did feel anything for Eddie, do you not think that she has other things to worry about than their relationship? I think it will just happen when it happens."
Tom had hoped that would stop the conversation. And he knew that there would be a couple of people who would think about what he had just said. Just not the right people.
"So have you invited them to your New Years Eve party, Tom?" Steph said.
"No, I haven't," Tom said.
"You used to invite Jack."
"I know I did."
"So why not them?"
There was a reason.
The reason that he invited Jack was because they were mates (and therefore he had invited him to previous New Years Eve parties) before he was a deputy or a headteacher. Rachel, on the other hand, had come to the school straight away as a headteacher and seemed a little more professional in her role than Jack was (not that he was saying that Jack was always unprofessional). Plus he had seen how uncomfortable Rachel seemed when they all went down the pub together. Tom didn't really think that it was her scene.
He hadn't invited Eddie either, with Tom glad when Eddie told him of his plans for New Year's Eve. There was also the fact that they had only known Eddie since September and Rachel since November. They didn't really know each other well enough anyway.
"We barely knew them last year. And do we really want the bosses there?" Tom said.
"I can see it now," Steph said. "A midnight kiss. It will be the perfect nudge that they will need."
"Nudge? That sounds more like a shove." Davina said.
"Oh don't be so stupid. So, Tom, are you going to invite them?"
Tom sighed as he realised that he had been put into a position where he felt like he needed to invite them both. Otherwise, he was sure that Steph was going to do it for him. He just wondered how much of a disaster it was going to be.
With Rachel being late that morning (from taking Philip to school as it was the second morning without Melissa being there), the last management meeting of the term was scheduled for the middle of the day, when both Tom and Eddie were on a free. It had been the first management meeting that they'd had since before the fire and Rachel tried not to focus on it. Maybe it didn't help that things weren't right. She was worrying about Melissa and Philip. She didn't completely think that her nephew would open up to her and it was why she was glad that it was the last week of term. Because it meant that she could focus a little more on Philip, hoping to get him to open up to her. She would definitely have to ask the questions that she didn't want to.
But it had been a good but long month with her getting back into the swing of things as well as feeling more prepared for her official return. And she knew that she wouldn't have been able to remain sane if she hadn't had Eddie by her side. Even if he might have been the reason behind the argument that she'd had with Melissa which caused her to leave.
And Tom seemed nervous at the beginning of the meeting but it seemed to only worsen over the course of the meeting, coming to a climax when Rachel said about the meeting wrapping up.
"Actually, there is one more thing. Not really school related." Tom said before he cleared his throat. "I host a New Year's Eve party. I used to host them with both Lorna and Izzie… and it will be my second year of hosting it by myself. I know that they wouldn't want me to stop it. I am sure Chlo will help me out and Mika if she stays around for New Year's. W-w-what I am trying to say is that, if you want to, you are more than welcome to join us all. It will be the majority of the staffroom." He hesitated. "And any students that Chlo invites."
With that, Rachel knew that it would be an event that she would instantly turn down. The staff was one problem, her students a completely different one. She knew that she shouldn't but she was rather reluctant to socialise with the staff. She could remember that one of the first bits of advice she was given when she got the position of Head of Pastoral Care was that she couldn't mix with the other staff anymore. That none of them would trust her as she was now part of the senior management team. She had thought that the deputy who told her that was talking rubbish because he was bitter that she had got the role and not his girlfriend. She found out the hard way that it was the case when she joined a group of teachers and they fell silent when they noticed her. From then, she tried to socialise as little as possible.
Like she had no problems with the staff Christmas party but a New Year's Eve party at a staff member's house, she had a lot of problems with.
"Yeah, I'm up for it. What about you, Rach?" Eddie said.
Rachel turned to Eddie and was surprised by how keen he was. She had assumed that he was rather professional. He might have gone down the pub a little more than she had done with the staff but he was the deputy after all. Plus he was a guy as well. The double standards were all there. It was a little more acceptable for him. It would even be more acceptable even if he was the head.
And Rachel definitely wanted to turn it down. Usually, she wouldn't be mulling over her opinions. She would have got in her refusal even before Eddie gave his acceptance.
But then she couldn't remember the last time that she had been invited to a New Year's Eve party. All her friends were in numerous different locations all over the UK and they were more likely to invite their more recent friends than her. Her New Year's currently consisted of spending it with Philip and a bottle of wine. And there was just something about the thought of Eddie being there that made her go against what she would usually do.
"Yeah. Sure. Sounds good." Rachel said
"Well, great," Tom said. "Well at mine. And I've told people to start arriving around eight. Eat before as there will only be snacky things."
Rachel did know that she would read into what Tom just said more than Eddie would but there was a part of her that wondered whether Tom just asked them out of common courtesy, thinking that they might decline the invitation.
And as much as Rachel hoped that it was going to be okay, it had just added something to her list of worries. Something that she didn't need.
Rachel knew that she had become rather comfortable around Eddie's family when it was revealed on Christmas Day that both Eddie and Rachel wouldn't be spending New Year's Eve with them (although everyone seemed rather happy when Philip accepted his invite). Mainly because most of the girls then asked what she was going to wear and her answer was that she didn't know. That led to a rather early Boxing Day morning (because Rachel had stayed around and she was just in awe at how many rooms Sue and Rob's house had) as Zoe, Alice, Claire and Cathy dragged her around the shops to find the 'perfect' dress. Even though Zoe had confessed to her that she could turn up in a bin bag and Eddie would still think that she was the most beautiful woman in the room.
That didn't stop Rachel from hating the experience, even if she was in good company. She just didn't do dress shopping as she never really found anything that she liked enough to part with her money. Meaning that she always returned to the couple of dresses that she had bought, usually going with her old faithful little black dress for an event like she was going to (she had a couple of different ones that she had on rotation for weddings. Not that she had been invited to one of those recently). But they all seemed rather keen to get her to buy something.
Which she did.
And she had been worrying about it ever since she bought it. Worried about whether it suited her or not.
Which is why she had called someone for backup. With that someone ending being Zoe.
Although, Rachel wasn't really too sure why she was fussing so much over her appearance. She never usually would. Even for a date. She was trying to tell herself that it wasn't because this was the first time that her and Eddie were going to go out since their chat about being more than friends and where they wanted to be in 12 months time. It definitely wasn't because she wanted to impress Eddie.
"Are you sure it suits me?" Rachel asked as she flated down the dress in the mirror.
"This is exhausting, Rachel," Zoe said. "Yes, it does. And it hides the scar. And if I was Eddie, I would be rather worried about leaving you alone just in case someone else was interested in you."
"I doubt that."
"Why? You are gorgeous and anyone who can't see past your past is an idiot that doesn't deserve a moment of your time."
"Eddie almost fell into that category."
"Yeah, well, guess who he told in confidence, expecting them to have the same opinion as him, to have the exact opposite and proceeded to scream at him before getting someone else to hit some sense into him. For a very logical man, he can sometimes only see things on the surface. I think it is one of the reasons why he does run to me and Alice."
Rachel looked herself up and down one last time before she moved to her jewellery box, feeling Zoe's eyes on her. She didn't like that she was as insecure as she was. She hated that she couldn't let anyone get too close to her. She hated that as much as she was trying to see the good in her advancing her relationship with Eddie, there were still the whispers that it could go completely wrong and she would be left even more heartbroken than she'd had in the past.
And before Rachel could voice that to Zoe, her bedroom door opened with such force that Rachel was surprised that it didn't come off its hinges.
"Sorry, when were you going to tell me that you were going out?" Melissa said.
"When I got downstairs to tell you." Rachel said. "You usually have plans so…"
"Well, I don't. So it is just me and Philip."
"Philip is going to go back with Zoe and spend it at Rob and Sue's."
"You are more than welcomed to join us," Zoe said.
"I would rather spend it alone, thank you. Especially after what happened on Christmas day." Melissa said.
"Yeah, it is the Jones in them. The ability to hold a grudge. If you think that was bad, I mean, you should see their Auntie Paula. That woman is the definition of someone holding a grudge. Plus it wasn't you that was running around Manchester trying to find Philip, was it? Mainly because he only ran away to try and get you to come back."
Rachel attempted to shoot a look at Zoe, trying to get her to stop, rather than at Melissa. Because she hoped that Zoe had a lot more sense to stop.
"That wasn't what I meant," Melissa said, glaring at Zoe.
"Yeah, well as much as I do trust James," Zoe said.
"Then why were you so worried?"
"I don't trust you."
"Okay. Okay." Rachel said. "We are going out. If you don't want to be here by yourself, the local is putting on an event."
It seemed like Melissa's default reaction to whenever Rachel would say something that was remotely helpful or logical, was to huff loudly and then storm out of the room. It was really quite awful to think that she had year sevens who were more grown up than Melissa was.
"Are you ever going to properly stand up to her?" Zoe asked.
"I would actually prefer to have a conversation with her but she seems incapable of being able to do that. Like I can have more of a conversation with Lois… even Ella, than I can with her." Rachel said.
"This might sound horrible, but maybe you have just got to let her go. If she isn't going to play by your rules, then why play by hers? Because I think that is what she is trying to do. All the time she is here, living under your roof, she will think that she has got your forgiveness. Send her to do that growing up that it seems like she needs to do."
And it was horrible to hear, but it felt like when Eddie had told her that she was two different people. It was the level of honesty that Rachel appreciated from Zoe. Because she knew that she wouldn't be able to make the same decisions otherwise.
"Get tonight and the rest of this week out the way. She needs to go and get herself a job so it will be the perfect opportunity to… tell her as straight as I dare." Rachel held up her hand. "If I am a compulsive liar like Dad, then she has his ability to change his mood like a switch. I'm sorry but I've been hurt by that more times than any lies."
Rachel couldn't blame Zoe for not really understanding her reluctance. She was sure that anyone lucky enough not to have had the same experiences as her growing up would do. And there was no way of making them see that either. Rachel just had to trust that she knew the best way to go about it while also attempting to keep the damage as minimal as possible.
Eddie knew that he was panicking. He just didn't completely understand why he was panicking. He had done all the hard work. He had made Rachel see that they could have a future together. That was what they were going to spend the next year working towards. That and him getting comfortable enough to go through another pregnancy and having a newborn. He wished that the flashbacks of Stephen would stop happening every time he thought about it. Mainly because he did want things to work out for him and Rachel and he wanted to give her everything that she wanted.
But his thoughts were definitely on what Rachel had said about him dressing smartly and he wanted to prove her wrong. He wanted to put the effort in for her.
"Is Rachel your new woman then?" Alice said as she went through his collection of shirts. He had called Zoe but Alice had informed him that she was already busy.
"No. I don't have a new woman." Eddie said.
"Oh, bullshit. I know you too bloody well. And I've seen the way that you are with her. Especially the day that Philip ran away. I've already said that you are head over heels."
"That doesn't mean that she is my new woman."
"So what was the chat in the conservatory about then? Cathy said that Rachel said that she needed five minutes with you to chat."
"Because she wanted to tell me about her plan. That we are going to start… dating. Seeing how it goes."
"So you do want her to be your new woman."
"No, I want to be her man. If you've always thought that I've had to run after the girl before, then I am definitely chasing Rachel. I'll lose her easier than I will keep her."
"I don't think so."
"How?"
"Because the reason that I am here and not Zoe is because Rachel rang Cathy, panicking like you are, and Zoe said that she would go round. You managed to get a hold of her just before she left, meaning that I had to get into the car to be dropped off here. Zoe is going to bring Philip as well. Don't really care what the bitch is doing."
"Alice?!"
"I'm not taking it back. James is a dick but he is perfect for Zoe. And Tony would never know what to do with a woman like Melissa. He is still too naive. Ryan knows that I would kick him out the moment I found out. But who does that? Who goes after happy men?"
"I'm going to go out on a limb and say that she doesn't believe in a man in a happy marriage. Something that Rachel said about Melissa believing that not every man is faithful."
"Yeah, well… that isn't us," Alice said before she pulled out a shirt and held it out to him. "I am wondering why you are so bothered by your appearance. It isn't like you've tried a hell of a lot in the past. And it isn't like you try at work. Rachel knows you are a shirt and jeans guy."
"This is different. Work is different." He said as he took the shirt off her, making sure that it didn't need ironing before he put it on.
"I don't see how. If you ever wonder why the kids don't dress smartly, it probably has something to do with the deputy head not making an effort."
"You sound just like Rachel." He muttered.
"Are these your wedding trousers?" Alice asked, with Eddie not knowing if she had heard him (which was good if she didn't. "Because they are literally the only smart trousers that you own."
"They might be."
"I don't think you will fit in them and I don't really think you should wear them. Just go with jeans, Eddie. I managed to grab one of Dad's blazers before we rushed out the door. I think it will work."
Eddie huffed before he walked over to where his drawers were, digging down to the bottom for a pair of jeans that he had bought recently but hadn't worn yet. He, at least, should wear a new pair, just to give the outfit a smart look.
And he didn't quite know how to take the look on Alice's face as she walked over and played with his collar.
"She gets that you told her in confidence but Zoe has told me," Alice said.
"Told you what?" Eddie said.
"Where has the idea of a baby come from?"
There it was again. The flash of that disastrous day. He knew that it would be a long road for him. But he did, at a minimum, have about ten months to get used to the idea. He hoped it would be long enough but there were no tellings.
"In 18 months, Rachel is going to be 40." He said. "She wants a baby before she is 40. Meaning that this time next year, if everything is okay and we can do it all… naturally, then she... wants to be pregnant."
"You don't seem so sure about that. Is it what you want, Eddie?"
He nodded. "I want to be more than just a father… a father of an excitable four-year-old and… one that will never grow up. I do love the idea of it, Alice. I am also just reminded of how I found Stephen every time I think about it."
"You are going to have to address that."
"I know. And I don't know how I am going to do it just yet but I am going to ask Tom at work if he knows of anyone. I mean, he will understand. He's lost two kids of his own. Both before they were born."
Alice didn't look happy about it. He expected her not to be. It was why he talked to Zoe about it. Maybe because Zoe would keep her opinions to herself whereas Eddie knew that Alice wouldn't.
"I can't lose my brother again," Alice said, sounding rather tearful. "You've always been so strong in adversity. You've always been the one that I've run to when something went wrong because I always knew that you would comfort me and say the right things. I hated how you were after Alison and Stephen. And it would kill Mum to see you like that again. And all those nieces and nephews. They all almost lost you once before. You didn't see it. The way you went from being the one who was up for anything to the one telling them 'maybe another time'. You didn't see their faces after you told them that or all the questions of what was wrong with you. I know… that it was always a possibility. That you would find someone new and want a family with them. But we can't lose you again, Eddie."
Eddie pulled Alice into a hug, his own heart breaking at how tightly she held onto him. For something that was a long way off, it seemed like it was a very now issue for a couple of people. Maybe introducing the fact that him and Rachel wanted a baby together would be something that would need to be spoon fed to his family.
"That is why I am going to get help," Eddie said. "Before, during and after if it is needed. I don't want to become a shadow of myself again. If I am given a second chance, then I want to make the most of it."
"Then this will be between us for the moment," Alice said as she pulled back, wiping the tears away.
"But the moment it becomes more, I will start telling people. Rachel will understand."
"I haven't cried like this since I found out Abbie was a girl."
"It will be okay, Alice. Trust me."
Eddie didn't know whether to take Alice's silence as a good or bad thing.
Zoe had dropped Rachel off, telling her that it was the least that she could do. Although the phone call from Alice that the whole car was subject to told Rachel otherwise. And Rachel was definitely gearing herself up to knock on the door. She still had no idea why she agreed to it. Nothing about it felt right, even if she had bought a bottle of wine especially for it. It didn't seem right to be invited somewhere and not to bring anything.
Davina answering the door calmed her down.
Seeing Chlo, Donte, Maxine and Janeece on the stairs didn't.
"Wow, Miss. You look amazing." Chlo said.
"Thank you, Chlo." Rachel said, very unsure about the conversation and glad that she was moving through into the kitchen.
"Do you think she is out to impress like Lawson is?" Maxine said.
"Probably each other," Janeece said, with Chlo trying to tell them to be quiet.
And once Davina had sorted her out with a drink, she pointed towards the door that was open, making the kitchen feel rather cold, with Davina saying that everyone was outside because there wasn't much room in the house.
Which suited Rachel fine. If the kids were inside the house drinking then she wasn't going to see it. If anything, Rachel knew that anyone who thought that teenage drinking could be stopped was living in some dreamworld. It had always been a thing and it wasn't going to stop. All they could do was to educate them on the risks of drinking in excess. It wasn't like Rachel could say much. She had become a rather heavy drinker in her teens. And it was why she had such a difficult relationship with alcohol.
Rachel made her way out into the garden, glad that she had picked up a jacket before she left. It was definitely cold out, letting Rachel know that winter had finally hit. She knew that it shouldn't have done but she added 'talk to the caretaker' to her mental list of things to do. There were no tellings to how cold the winter was going to be and their main concern would be ice in the car parks.
She tried to shake off her work brain as she greeted Tom and a couple of others before she found where Eddie was. Usually, she would have been surprised to see him there before her but she had made a conscious decision to be as late as she could allow herself to be. Which was a feat in itself, with her telling Zoe of her plan and then immediately regretting it as she began to feel physically sick at the pure thought that she was going to be late.
"Ah Miss Mason, you have decided to join us," Eddie said.
"I thought it was fashionable to be late, Mr Lawson." Rachel said.
"Not you though."
"Not going to lie, I did feel sick."
"And you stole Zoe from me. I don't know why because you look… absolutely beautiful."
Rachel was sure that she was blushing. "Thank you. You look rather handsome."
"If you don't like the shirt, then that is Alice's fault."
"You can't blame your sister."
"I can because you stole my best friend. Couldn't you have asked Philip?"
"I think that would have embarrassed him. The poor kid has been through enough without me asking him how I looked. Anyway, I actually called Cathy and Zoe showed up. I think you have enough family members to share, don't you?"
"With you? Yeah." He took a mouthful of his beer. "How are things with Melissa?"
"Not great. She wasn't happy about me and Philip having plans when every other year, she has been the one not to join us because she has plans. I think I am going to give her an ultimatum in the New Year. She needs a job and a house. I think I have told Philip enough times that he is welcome at mine. We even painted his room the other day. So I think he is staying."
"Someone to look after you at home while I look after you at work."
"It will just end the saga. I think we need space from each other but I want to know where she is. I don't want her to see it as another reason to run off."
"That is probably it. You do just need space from each other. You've both been on top of each other. Two rather strong willed women who haven't lived together since they were kids. With one knowing how to get under the other's skin easily. Like you said, as long as you know where she is, it won't matter where she decides to go." He sighed. "Usually I would be all for trying to fix your relationship but there is a feeling that it is past the point of no return."
Rachel shook her head as she took a sip of her drink. "I don't really think that you want to be talking about Melissa all night."
"Not really. What do you want to talk about then?"
Rachel just smiled as she had the perfect topic of conversation that wasn't about the school.
If Tom didn't have to know what Steph had planned, then he was sure that he would have tried to keep away from her as much as possible. But Davina had gestured for him to come over and he felt like she wouldn't do that without a good reason.
"Steph has been telling us about how she is going to nudge Rachel and Eddie together," Davina said.
Tom wished that he could look over at Matt and tell him with a look to calm Steph down. Part of him felt like Matt might be part of the problem, with the man not yet (or maybe never) understanding when it was good to encourage Steph and when it wasn't. This was definitely a fire that had been fanned.
"What is it then?" Tom asked, rising to the bait of it.
"Who are you kissing at midnight?" Steph asked.
"Davina. Obviously."
"Well, I've now got Matt."
"Sorry?"
"Look, we are going to tell them that everyone needs a kiss at midnight. I don't think that there are many people that Rachel would want to kiss other than Eddie."
"Steph, have you seen how they've been acting tonight?" Tom said, trying to be the voice of reason. "They have barely left each other's side. I don't think they need a nudge. I think that they have it all worked out by themselves."
Tom didn't really understand why he wasted his breath. He knew it was going to fall on deaf ears. Maybe he had just disillusioned himself into thinking that Steph would calm down about it all by the time the day arrived.
"Even still," Matt said. "Maybe they both think that the other one just wants to be friends. Maybe neither of them are prepared to take the jump because they don't want to ruin what they have."
Tom couldn't actually believe what Matt was saying and to not spur Steph on more, Tom found himself having to reel Steph in a bit.
"Look, why don't me and Davina say something?" Tom said. "Rachel won't want to feel ambushed and I know that you and Eddie have had your fair share of… run-ins."
"What is that meant to mean?" Steph said, definitely taking offence.
"Meaning that we all know that you aren't Eddie's favourite person," Davina said. "And not really Rachel's either. Meaning that it might be best coming from us to give the idea… a bit of credibility."
Tom was sure that they hadn't made the situation any better. They had just passed the blame to themselves. And he could only see it going wrong. There was no way that this was ever going to go right. It was a horrible idea and Tom could already see that it might not be the kiss that Steph was hoping for. Although, he was attempting to remember what Steph's bet was. After the adjustment for the fire and Rachel being in hospital. Was Steph pushing it because she wanted to win the bet? It was extremely possible.
"Fine," Steph said. "But make sure that they know that it has to be a full on snog. Not a stupid peck or whatever."
Tom only had to look over at Davina and he knew that it was time for them to leave the conversation. With him draining the bottle in his hand, Tom felt like the best thing to do before they said anything was to get another drink, with him noticing that Davina's glass was empty as well.
"Can you remember what Steph bet?" Tom whispered, unsure about who was around to hear.
"No. Why? Do you think it is around now then?" Davina said.
"She is rather insistent."
"But Matt does have a point."
"I think we are better to stay out of it."
"Would we be together if Chlo and Mika had stayed out of it?" She waited for a reply that Tom was never going to give her. "Exactly. We needed someone to show us what we had. Maybe they do as well. But I am not going to say anything about a full on snog."
"I really don't think that Rachel is a PDA person."
"I didn't think that Rachel would accept your invite but she did. She might surprise you. Like she surprised everyone by seeming okay on a day that no one would have blamed her for not feeling okay. Or her early return. Or that she returned at all. Just because Eddie saved her job, it never meant that she had to return."
Tom had to think over her words and he knew that he just didn't want to do it because he didn't know how both Rachel and Eddie would take it. Being invited to a party was one thing. Being asked to kiss at said party was another.
"Right, let's get this over and done with," Tom said before he took a big swig of his beer.
He could tell that Davina was as thrilled as he was about it, even with her words beforehand. Mainly because they had both realised that this was their bosses and it felt like a strange request of said bosses.
Davina didn't want to do it. Especially as the first topic of conversation was Rachel asking how she was after the fire, having not had the chance to see her during her unofficial return and Eddie not telling her until it was nearly the end of term what had happened to Davina, Bolton and a few other students. Especially what happened to Davina.
Just the level of concern that Rachel had for her was like nothing she had ever experienced with any other employer, with Rachel asking about any physical injuries and how she was dealing with the side effects of being trapped in a burning corridor. It made Davina want to ask the same questions back, wondering whether she should have more concern over her employer. Because, by the sounds of things, Davina came off lightly compared to Rachel.
But Rachel just seemed to brush off the questions, always turning the conversation back to Davina, going on to how Rachel wanted her to complete her teacher training and she had only seen good results from her.
It made Davina suspicious. Like Rachel could have some sixth sense, knowing that Davina was going to tell her something that she wasn't going to like. And with Steph getting ever closer to joining them, Davina knew that she had to act fast.
"Rachel, has anyone told you?" Davina said.
"Told me what?" Rachel said.
"About the tradition."
"No one has said anything to me about any tradition."
"Well we are here to tell you now," Steph said as she forced herself into the situation.
"The tradition is that everyone has to have a midnight kiss," Davina said quickly, mainly to stop Steph from saying anything else. "Tom didn't say anything before because… well it is a bit of a strange ask. Especially as you are our boss."
Davina wondered whether she had said the wrong thing. There was just this unreadable expression on Rachel's face (not that Rachel was someone who was readable all the time) and she wondered whether it was something about the boss comment. That Rachel thought that she wasn't wanted there or something like that.
"Everyone?" Rachel questioned.
"Yeah, so if I was you, I would make sure you have someone and ask them quickly. You don't want them snapped up before you have the chance to ask them." Steph said.
There was a mumble of 'excuse me' from Rachel before she left and Davina knew that she was shooting daggers at Steph for interrupting her.
"What?!" Steph said.
"Tom does have a point. You could be doing more harm than good."
"It's just a nudge."
"To you. To Rachel and Eddie, this could seem like a shove."
With Steph's nonchalant reaction, Davina left her to find Jasmine to tell her what was going on and to, sort of, hide from Rachel and Eddie. As much as Davina didn't want to be a part of it, she knew that she was now. If anything, if it all went wrong, it would look like her and Tom were the instigators. Davina just hoped that it would all go right.
For Tom hosting the party, Eddie hadn't really had a chance to talk to him. Although, as the host, maybe Tom didn't have a lot of time to be socialising too long with his guests. But it was nice to have a catch up with him, with Eddie leaving out that Rachel spent Christmas with him. He'd heard whispers about a bet and it having something to do with his relationship with Rachel. Eddie didn't really want to be enabling the staff if that was the case. Because he knew that it would make Rachel uncomfortable and Eddie felt like he had spent a long time making her comfortable about them.
"It will be nice to have her back, won't it?" Tom said.
"Who?"
"Rachel."
"Oh, yeah," Eddie said. "It will be nice to… share the paperwork again. And be back in the classroom properly."
"What made her come back early? Apparently, you asked her to come back."
"I said that to Ralph to try and deflect from her. She wanted to. She was bored and, according to her, there is only so much a person can rest for. So I put that down as she got bored and restless and knew the one place where she could… not be bored."
"So you knew nothing about it?"
"Not until I found her in her office surrounded by paperwork that I, apparently, hadn't filed away properly. How was I meant to know that there was some sort of system?"
"Because it is Rachel."
Eddie shook his head as he took a sip of his beer, with him attempting to make it last as long as possible so that he didn't have to leave Rachel's company. It was one of the things that he was going to do when Rachel mentioned that they should probably mingle more. Just he got caught by Tom before he could get another beer.
"Look, mate," Tom said, sounding rather nervous. "There is… kinda this tradition."
"What tradition?"
"Well… everyone has to have a midnight kiss."
Eddie knew that his mind jumped straight to Rachel and he couldn't blame his mind for doing so. He just knew that Rachel would be very uncomfortable with it in this sort of environment. In public was one thing. In front of all the staff was definitely another. Rachel wouldn't be ready for that.
"I don't know about that," Eddie said.
"Why? Because there is no one here you want to kiss or…"
"It's not that," Eddie said, interrupting Tom. "It's just… I-I-I… well call me old fashioned but I think that there should at least be a little wining and dining and getting to know each other before a kiss."
"How do you mean?"
Rachel won't be ready for it.
Eddie didn't say it. If anything, he didn't want to do anything to go against the plan that Rachel had. It was perfect to him. It would be making sure that they were taking things gently before ramping it up quite a bit. And there was still the weird feeling in his chest. The heartbreak mixing in with the hope. And he almost said something to Tom about needing to speak with him when Rachel joined them.
"Have you been told about this tradition?" Rachel said.
"Tom's just told me," Eddie said, gesturing to Tom.
"So it is… true then?"
Tom nodded and Eddie knew that there would be a part of Rachel that would think that someone was trying to wind her up. If it wasn't true and there was an instigator, Eddie thought that Steph would have something to do with it. That woman used most of her time doing everything else expect for planning a lesson.
"Right. Okay." Rachel said before she looked up at Eddie. "Will you be my midnight kiss?"
Eddie forgot how to talk. And think. And just function. He thought that his heart might have exploded, like a firework in his chest. And he was glad that it had stunned him. Mainly because he might have sounded too eager if he had just let his mouth speak without connecting to his brain. Because he had wanted to kiss her for so long. With the urge only growing since their almost kiss in his parents' kitchen. And he would have done it after their little chat on Christmas Day had Lydia not interrupted them.
Now he had his chance and he had to reign himself in a little bit. The problem was that he didn't know whether Rachel would be up for a proper kiss or if they were going to keep it modest because of the people that were around them. He didn't mind either way. The kiss that she had placed on his cheek after he had returned her mother's angel sent the same amount of sparks through him as he felt like a proper kiss would.
"Yeah. Of course." He said, once his brain started working again.
"Great." Rachel said, her face lighting up. "How are you for a drink? I was just about to get myself a refill."
"I could do with one."
"Tom?"
"I've just got myself one, thanks, Rachel," Tom said.
Eddie tried not to watch Rachel walk off but he really couldn't stop himself. And he knew that Tom had seen by the look on his face.
"What?" Eddie said.
"You've got it bad."
Eddie tried to ignore him by finishing up his beer, with him realising that there was only a dribble left in the bottom of the bottle. Which was warmer than he expected because of the heat from his hand.
"It is okay." Tom continued. "I think you've got yourself a good one there."
Tom placed his hand on Eddie's shoulder before he left him to it. And Eddie still didn't quite know how to take the whole situation. All he knew was that there was a possibility that he was going to kiss Rachel and that did make him feel nervous.
The closer to midnight it got, the more nervous Rachel became. Maybe it was because she didn't know what Eddie was expecting. Was he expecting a proper kiss or one that would show that they weren't more than friends just yet?
And it might seem strange but a kiss was quite special to her. She knew that if she asked anyone else, to give away a kiss would be quite easy. Maybe some of them could jump into bed with someone as she would be able to. But there was just something about a kiss. Maybe it was just because it was so forbidden when she was a prostitute. To her, it was the ultimate form of intimacy.
So maybe she'd had one more glass of wine than she usually would have had. And she was trying to tell herself not to be nervous. It was something that she wanted. Maybe it was just that it was Eddie and she really didn't want to mess it up.
And she wondered whether Eddie felt the same way as they were crowded into Tom's living room, with the TV on as they were waiting for Big Ben to bring in the New Year.
She could definitely feel his body heat radiating off of him.
Or maybe it was just the heat of the room as 30 odd people were crushed in a small room together.
But the heat was mixing with the alcohol and she was sure that she was a little more drunk than she wanted to be. Because she was definitely focusing on Eddie and his lips and how much she wanted to kiss him but she wasn't quite sure where she wanted an audience for that. It definitely felt like a moment that should be in private. A moment between them. A moment when she could drop all her defences and be as vulnerable as she could be in front of him. A vulnerability that she would give no one else and she knew that he wouldn't do anything with it.
She was only brought back into the room as they all started to countdown, with Eddie's smile and voice being the one thing that she decided to focus on as she joined in. But the countdown only highlighted that she hadn't made up her mind.
Was she going to kiss him properly or was she just going to kiss him on the cheek, a more friendly kiss?
10
9
She had to make a decision.
8
7
Did she want to expose her plan?
6
5
Did she want to show everyone else that she did like Eddie?
4
3
Should she take the leap that she wanted to take?
2
1
There was no more time to debate as everyone shouted 'Happy New Year' and she found that Eddie was looking at her, letting her make the move. The voices around her caused her to dull down on her liquid courage, with her leaning in and kissing his cheek, with him doing the same thing to her.
And she had only pulled back slightly, wondering if Eddie would take the initiative to make it more.
"It's up to you." He whispered, with her feeling the words on her lips.
She hadn't realised that she was that close to him and there was no real effort in making their lips touch, with it only building until the whole room melted away and Rachel found herself glad that she had taken the leap. Her hands buried themselves in his hair and his arms made their way around her waist, pulling her ever closer to him.
It was something that she had hyped up in her head. And it felt like she had done so to the right amount. It was everything that she imagined it would be.
But also not.
It was soft but firm. It was telling her what he wanted from her whilst also giving her all the control. And Rachel tried to tell him back. So that there was nothing left unsaid between them.
They had an exciting year ahead of them. It wouldn't be without its hardships but Rachel was excited for it. Mainly because it did feel like all her dreams were finally coming true.
She remembered the conversation between them.
She remembered that Eddie hadn't pushed things.
That it was her that suggested going back to his.
And once they managed to get a hold of a taxi, they started to say their goodbyes, with Rachel blaming Steph's… merriness on the amount of alcohol she'd seen the French teacher knock back.
And there had been a couple more sloppy kisses, with Eddie saying that they weren't going to go any further than that as he wanted to wine and dine her first. She did attempt to tell him that, to her, they had already gone all the way by kissing. She just had to take in the shocked look on his face and she felt like she had to backtrack, saying that, to her, sex is just sex. To her, there is a hell of a lot more intimacy in kissing. That she might have had a lot of sexual partners but there had only been a couple of men that she'd kissed.
They had fallen into bed together but not in that way. And Rachel brought the collar of his shirt up to her nose as she watched Eddie sleep, waiting for him to wake up, wondering whether she already knew the aftershave that he wore. It was, now, definitely one of her favourite smells.
And when he did start to wake up, Rachel found herself moving to lie on her back, just in case Eddie found it a little weird that she was watching him. Although, part of her wondered why she slept in her bra as she attempted to adjust it, with her feeling the underwire starting to dig into her side.
"You okay?" Eddie said.
"Yeah, you?" She said as turned to him.
"I'm on cloud nine."
"Why?"
"Maybe… At one point, I wondered whether this would just happen in my wildest dreams."
"What? That I would be lying in your bed?"
He nodded. "Next to me. It just felt like we left so much unsaid on the day of the fire. That we always thought that we would have more time until it was almost taken from us."
"Even more reason to grab onto this chance."
"Are you telling me or yourself?"
"Myself." She paused for a moment before she sat up sharply. "I need to get it over and done with."
"Get what over and done with?" He said, slowly copying her action.
Her hands were shaking at the idea but she knew that she had to show Eddie sooner rather than later. It was probably why she started with the buttons at the bottom of the shirt.
"I don't like it. I-I-I'm just going to come out with it and say that I hate it." Rachel said as she struggled with the buttons. "And I know what you are going to say and I could. I was offered more skin graphs but that will mean more 'rest' and time off work and… I do hate that word now. Rest. It makes no sense. Because I have felt fine for months but apparently I need rest." She managed to undo the last button before she bunched up the shirt in her hands, hiding any flesh that she had shown. "But I need to get it over and done with. I need to see if you hate it as much as I do."
Eddie said nothing. Maybe she was expecting some stupid empty words that he wouldn't mean after he had seen it. Although, she felt like Eddie would know that sweet nothings wouldn't work with her.
It was only as she opened the shirt up, revealing the burn/scar to him that she realised that he didn't know anything past the fact that there was a burn on her chest. She hadn't told him where or how big it was. It was the only reason she could give the look of relief on his face. He had obviously thought worse than it actually was.
And he leant over to kiss her. To her, it was a confusing kiss. It didn't really feel like a situation for a kiss. Or maybe it just was because Eddie wasn't trying to push her back into the mattress. She was, after all, just sitting there in his shirt and her underwear.
"What was that for?" Rachel said when he leant back.
"You are still beautiful, Rachel."
"Even with?" She said, gesturing to the scar.
"Of course. It isn't going to change the way I feel about you. Because it is part of your selflessness which I equally love and hate. I love it when it shows how much you care about the kids and how changing their lives for the better is your main priority. I just… hated it that day. That it could have cost you your life and what for? A man that actively went out of his way to attempt to destroy everything that you've achieved because he was cutting corners." He paused. "And I don't think I would want to take that away from you but can you not do that again? Please?"
"I think I've already said that I can't promise that."
Eddie smiled at her and she started to do the buttons up on his shirt again, feeling like she had exposed herself enough for the moment.
"Zoe told Alice." He said.
"About?"
"That I was talking about a baby."
"Right?"
"If we are going to do this, we are going to have to spoon feed it to my family. Keep them completely in the loop of what is going on. Because…" He trailed off.
"They could be as bad as you?" She guessed.
He nodded. "I've never known Alice to get so tearful as she was last night. Talking about them not being able to lose me again."
"Then that is fine. I'm going to need all the support I can get as well. It isn't like I can lean on my own sister." She paused. "We will include them. That isn't an unreasonable request."
He nodded again. "And I do need help. Every time I think about it, I am always transported back to that day."
"But we can work through it. And we will do it together. I am sure we can talk to each other, can't we? We are a team. I think we have proven that we are quite a good one when we do work together on things."
"Yeah. Yeah, we are."
A new year always brought around the same feeling that things were going to be different. To Rachel, that year definitely gave her that feeling. Things were going to be different because she was going to have Eddie by her side and that would make everything seem a hundred times better. And it was going to be the year that she was going to focus on her personal life a little more. Mainly because she had good reason to focus on it.
She'd heard in the past, either from her friends or some random drunk that had started to talk to her, that people would say that that year was their year. But there was this massive feeling in her heart that 2009 wasn't just going to be her year. It was going to be her and Eddie's year and she couldn't wait to see how it all planned out.
