Thank you for the reviews.

So we are all for Protective!Eddie... I am all for that as well... Maybe we should move on to S03 E18 then.

Chapter Five
Just a Little Digging

"I just want to go and ruffle his feathers."

Rachel knew that Eddie was only trying to help but the fact that they hadn't got anything on Stuart yet made her a little wary about doing anything to upset him. Part of her just wished that Eddie would allow her to deal with Stuart in her own way. Plus, she thought that they had more important things to be getting on with. Like trying to stop the deportation of Sameen Azizi. That seemed way more important than Stuart Hordley.

"Ruffle his feathers? Are you sure you are calm enough for that?"

"Rachel. All I am going to do is tell him what I should have told him after I found out what he did to you. I can't tiptoe around him forever."

The bell rang and Rachel couldn't find the voice to stop him. Not when Bridget came out of the office to tell her that the LEA was on the phone regarding Sameen.

There was a part of Eddie that knew that Rachel had a point as he tried to be as nice as he could to Stuart's receptionist.

He had finally worked out why he felt so strongly about Rachel's past and Stuart's presence in her life. He may have been annoyed when she was shipped in by the LEA and had decided to change everything in the school on her first day but he now couldn't bear being at Waterloo Road with her. She had become a good friend to him and he couldn't deny that he did find her attractive. He had started to care about her in a way that he couldn't yet describe. Or maybe he could. He just didn't want to attach that word to his feelings just yet.

Eddie was glad when Stuart was staring at his computer screen, not paying attention to the corridors that surrounded his office. There was way too much glass for Eddie's liking.

He thought about knocking but felt like it wasn't appropriate. How many times had this man just imposed himself on Rachel? Didn't he need a bit of a taste of his own medicine?

Eddie was just glad of the shocked look on his face.

"Hello, Stuart. I think we need to have a little chat."

Even before Bridget could open her mouth, Rachel knew that Eddie had either done or said something that was going to blow up in her face. She wished that she could have had a chance to talk to Eddie beforehand to ask him what he had said.

"Stuart Hordley. He says that he won't stop ringing until he has spoken to you."

"Put him through." She said with a sigh.

She allowed the phone to ring a couple of times before she picked it up. She heard Bridget put the phone down before Stuart's voice came through.

"Thought you might be too busy to talk."

"I am waiting on an important call so make it quick Stuart."

"I don't take kindly to threats Amanda. Get your crony off my back."

"I have no idea what you are going on about."

"So you had no idea Eddie was coming around here to throw his weight around. Pull the other one."

"Honestly, I had no idea."

"I don't believe that."

"Stuart, you are going to believe what you want to believe."

"Well, let's just say this then. Get Eddie off my case and I won't blow your nasty little Pandora's box wide open. The only problem is, Amanda, you don't know how bad I can make it for you."

Eddie just happened to walk into her office as she put down the phone.

"What the hell did you say to him?"

If anything, he looked a little embarrassed. "Okay. Maybe you were right this morning to ask if I was calm enough."

"You think!"

"But it has given us a reaction. I need you…"

"No Eddie." She said, interrupting him. "Until you get something on Stuart, we aren't doing anything else. It isn't your job and reputation on the line."

"What has he said to you then?"

She sighed. "His exact words were 'the only problem is you don't know how bad I can make it for you.'"

He took a moment to reply. "Okay. I will go and find something."

Rachel found herself watching him go, but not really wanting him to go. She knew that she should be more annoyed at Eddie for what he had done but she couldn't help but see the actions that he was taking to try and keep her safe as anything but sweet. She had once told him that she thought he had a heart of gold and every day that he spent trying to get Stuart off her back, he showed her that she was right. At least if she allowed herself to fall for him, he was a good guy.

She shook her head, trying to erase her last thought. There was no way that she was falling for Eddie Lawson of all people.

"What do most people agree is wrong?" Eddie asked.

Rachel huffed as she shook her head at him. She had no idea what he was on about and if anything, she hoped that this had something to do with Stuart. She needed some good news as the Home Office kept telling her that they would have a decision for her soon but they had been telling her that for the last two hours and she was certain immigration would be back soon enough.

"I don't know."

"Child exploitation." He said as he handed over a file.

She took it off of him and started to look through at what he had printed off.

"What do you mean?"

"Child employment regulations."

"Still not really following."

"I ran into Bolton before I met up with you before I went to Stuart. Half asleep and he had missed the first period. Caught Candice as I went for a walk to calm down because I wasn't finding anything. She tells me that Bolton has been working six hours a day and there are others his age doing the same. If that is true, which I don't believe that Candice would lie to me, it means that Stuart contravenes most of those."

"Cheap labour I suppose."

"Exactly. Now we have something against him without using what he has done to you."

"Eddie, I… I still don't know about this."

"It will reflect badly on him and I am sure that there would be an investigation into Hordley Constructions. If anything Rachel, do it for my blood pressure."

Somehow it got a smile out of her. "Okay. What did you want me to do earlier?"

Did she trust Eddie? More than she would like to admit to herself.

Did she trust Stuart? Never.

It is probably why it unsettled her when Eddie had asked for her to call Stuart and arrange for him to come after school for a chat. The first part was going to be on her own and she wished that it didn't have to be in her office. Yet again, it felt like he was invading her safe space.

Eddie had told her not to be nice to him, but with the school pretty much empty, she didn't want to leave anything to chance. It surprised her when he knocked. She pressed a button on her phone before she told him to come in.

"Thought I'd start off as politely as possible, under the circumstances."

Rachel knew what she wanted to say but didn't say it.

"Look, Stuart…"

"I made it clear to you early on. I don't care whether it is you or Eddie, I will tell everyone about you."

"How long are you going to keep blackmailing me for, Stuart?"

"For as long as it takes Amanda."

She knew now that he knew that every time he used her old name, it hit a nerve with her and it unsettled her. She thought about standing up again, making sure that there was some power rebalance when the door opened. Rachel had never been happier to see Eddie.

"Hello, Stuart. Do you know, I'm sure I told you to keep away from Rachel."

She was glad when Stuart's gaze left her and she felt like she could relax a little. Eddie had assured her that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Not that she knew exactly how he could assure that but it made her feel safe enough.

"But as you're here, I think you should see this," Eddie said, handing Stuart the file that he had handed her earlier.

Of course, Stuart didn't look at it as he just threw it down onto her desk. He turned back to Eddie.

"What is it?"

"Employment rights for young people. Of course, if you've broken any of those laws, you'll probably never work again."

She loved how confident Eddie sounded and it made her feel back on form. She picked up her phone.

"And as I have our very interesting little 'blackmail' chat on record, I think that we've got enough evidence to ensure that we do not see you here again." She said.

It was nice, for the first time since Stuart walked into her office, that he looked worried. The way that he looked at her, then Eddie, before turning his attention back to her, made her feel like they had finally backed him into a corner, as he had done with her many times.

"You're bluffing."

"Investigations into Hordley Construction? Five years at Her Majesty's for blackmail? Then you have to think. There could be another five added on for rape if we want to push this all the way. It's all starting to sound very tiresome. If I were you, I'd quit while I was ahead."

"You think it's a good idea having her run this place, do you?" Stuart said as he turned fully to Eddie, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, I do, actually." He said as he looked at Rachel.

She could feel her lips wanting to curl up into a smile but didn't allow herself as Stuart was still there. She couldn't give him something else to use against her, even if the point of this meeting was to get rid of him.

"I bet you love working for a two-bit hooker, don't you?" Stuart said as he half circled Eddie. "I bet she gives it to you for free."

Her own feelings about what Stuart had said didn't come into play. She watched Eddie's face as it changed before he scoffed. His eyes met hers for a moment before he turned fully to Stuart and punched his across the face, causing him to stumble backwards. She found herself standing up, knowing that Eddie had been wanting to do that for a while but equally glad that he had. No one had defended her like that before and it made her more happy that she had gone along with Eddie's plan.

"If you wouldn't mind pissing off, Hordley. You're starting to irritate us now."

Stuart's eyes flicked up at her before he stormed out of the room. Rachel, in all honesty, didn't know what to do with herself as Eddie turned back to her.

"You okay?" He asked.

"I've never been better."

It wasn't until they had walked outside and watched him drive off that Rachel started to believe that everything that had happened over the last couple of months was over.

"Do you think that's it? Do you think he's gone for good?"

"Absolutely."

She smiled up at him, allowing herself to believe him. Whatever was thrown their way, they would do it together and maybe Rachel allowed herself to fall just a little bit in love with Eddie.