A/N: A big thank you to everyone reading and a special thank you to hannah5240, Mrs Carmichael, RachelMasonFan39, Lynny, FaeMelody, LittleH12, schefflera, fayeftvanity and the lovely guest for the reviews!
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Burning under your control

Chapter twelve.

Controlling someone is having the ability to influence and dominate a vulnerable human being.

Anxious.

'Melissa?', Rachel gasped. She quickly pulled away from Eddie and distanced herself. She was hardly one to cross her personal life with her professional and she hoped that her sister wouldn't use their closeness as ammunition. Melissa noted Rachel's sharp movements and made a mental note to ask her later.

'Melissa?', Eddie questioned, looking between the pair of them. He had absolutely no idea who the woman was, however judging by Rachel's face, she couldn't have been that much of a stranger. Then, in a matter of seconds, it had hit him, this must have been Melissa Ryan. She had been the woman on the phone, but he still couldn't understand her urgency.

'Er sorry Rach, look can I have a word?', Melissa interrupted, her eyes piercing onto Rachel and completely ignoring Eddie.

'Rachel?', Eddie asked baffled. He stood up from his crouched position and waited on Rachel to answer him. His frustration was clear and Rachel knew the underlying issue was because of the interruption. They had finally expressed their emotions and Melissa's arrival had disturbed them once more.

'Eddie, this is my sister ..', Rachel stammered. There was an almighty change in his expression, and she knew it would be another hurdle in their relationship.

'Sister? I didn't think you had-', Eddie didn't get much of a chance to question her, before Melissa abruptly cut him off.

'Well she does', Melissa said rudely as she crossed her arms, and eagerly awaited to speak to her sister in private.

'Look Eddie, can you give us five minutes?', Rachel pleaded. He didn't move, and she brought her hand to her forehead and sighed in frustration.

'Please?', she had been practically begging and he gave her a nod before glaring at Melissa.

An awkward tension danced between the three of them, and Rachel waited to hear the door shut before she turned to her sister, scornfully glaring at her.

'Melissa, where have you been?!' I've tried calling you for the last three months?!', Rachel demanded as she was careful not to get too worked up on fear that she'd push herself over the edge.

'Well I'm here now, aren't I?', Melissa watched as Rachel grew more furious at her comment and realised that it probably hadn't been the best reply.

'That's not the point! Look, take my keys and go to mine. I'll meet you there when I can', Rachel rummaged around her handbag and found her house keys before practically shoving them at Melissa. Turning on her heels, she briskly but carefully made her way to find Eddie.

'But Rach, I-', it had been too late and Melissa found herself alone. Sighing, she waited around in the office in hope Rachel would return soon.

She walked steadily down the corridor to his classroom. She understood that he had questions, and by god, she didn't want to continue lying. However, it had made the situation ten times more complicated, and she was unsure how he'd digest it on top of Stuart's death. She arrived outside his door and watched tentatively as he attempted to mark the dozen or so textbooks. Lightly she tapped on the door and waited for him to acknowledge before she took the steps into his classroom.

'Can we talk?', she quizzed. He dared look at her, as he pretended to engross himself in his marking. He realised that it would do them no good and that she would only pull herself away again if he didn't hold on to her now. He dropped his pen from his fingers and slowly brought his eyes to meet hers. A pool of sadness and despair shadowing them.

'I didn't realise you had a sister', he murmured as his attention was now completely focused on her. She shifted awkwardly and took a seat on the edge of one of the desks.

'Its complicated. Look, I..', she hesitated before deciding to take some time. Her uncertainty of telling Eddie about Melissa had been obvious, but it was so much deeper. She'd already troubled him with Stuart and there was an almighty guilt for leaving him knowing what he knew.

'Earlier, did you mean to kiss me or are you going to avoid it again?', he interrupted her thoughts. She felt her body become rigid, and her heart thumped at an almighty pace. There was absolutely no running from this one. Her eyes dropped to the floor avoiding him, and she hoped he wouldn't make her look at him. A short silence engulfed them, and she took a steady breath. She could sense his eyes burning onto her, and the air was thick with tension.

'Because I hope you don't avoid me again', he confessed as his tone laced with sadness. He watched as she tore her eyes from the floor and brought them back to him. She gave him a small sympathetic smile and sighed.

'I never meant for this to go the way it did. I'm afraid of hurting you, Eddie. I'm, well .. I'm complicated.'

Melissa wandered the corridors and found herself flustered as she could not locate her sister's whereabouts. She had become rather anxious to tell Rachel what was really going on, and it was becoming more apparent that she'd have to wait a while longer.

'Hi, sorry have you seen Rachel?', Melissa asked as her eyes continued to look around.

'Sorry and you are?', Steph questioned. Her eyes scanned the younger woman standing in front her, and she rather hoped that she wasn't a new teacher. Steph had always felt threatened by younger, prettier blondes and this was no exception.

'I'm melissa, her sister.'

'Sister?! I didn't even realise Rachel had a sister ..', Steph smirked. This was definitely one for the staff room. Rachel had always been so determined to keep her private life, well, private.

'Yeah well she has a habit of forgetting', Melissa sighed.

'There was a man in her office. Eddie? Who's he?', there was a curiosity to Melissa's tone, and Steph became suspicious.

'Eddie Lawson, he's the deputy', Steph explained, as she looked on at Melissa unsure why she'd be mentioning him.

'That's not like Rachel to mix work with pleasure.'

'What do you mean?', Steph quizzed, crossing her arms and raising her brow.

'Well I walked in and they were practically sucking the faces off each other. Look if you see her, will you tell her I tried to find her before I left and that I'll be at her house', Melissa rambled as she threw her bag back over her shoulders and made her way to the main doors. Steph however, could not move, completely bewildered by the new information. This had been too much for even her to handle. Rachel and Eddie, together. A rather smug smile crept along her lips and she scurried to the staff room like a child at Christmas. This would definitely cause a stir.