Thank you for the reviews.

Now, this is basically S05E14 with Eddie being there... with the added part of the beginning of S04E03 in regards for the breakfast club part.

I swear there are bigger gaps between these chapters... I just don't know...

Chapter Twenty One
A Disaster Waiting To Happen

"You do not know how happy I am to see you." Rachel said as Eddie walked into her office.

He wasn't surprised at her comment but more at the peck on his lips after she placed herself in front of him. She had become more open with their relationship and he knew that soon, someone would catch them. But he knew that it meant that Rachel felt comfortable with him. Just when he thought he couldn't love her any more.

"Sorry I had to cancel the 28th."

"Eddie, spending time with Micheal is more important than me."

"I could have always brought him round."

"You do know the black mark that you put against your name is now gone. She would have seen that as a sign that you wanted more."

"So I am back in Melissa's good books?"

"Why I am glad to see you. I can have a proper adult conversation that doesn't involve my love life, or lack of as Melissa thinks. She now believes that I have made someone up to shut her up."

"Rach, you are going to have to tell her to move out. She only seems to be getting worse and, as much as I love to hear your rants, do we really want to do this every morning?"

"No. I will talk to her about that." She sighed. "Things were just made worse when Adam popped round to discuss the breakfast club plans and ended up staying over."

"Really?"

"Honestly, I wish it was because something was happening between them. Anything to take Melissa's attention off you."

"But you don't think it is?"

"I... feel like they are planning something. I don't know what but I don't like it."

"The natural worrier in you." Eddie smiled at her. "Should we go and show our faces at this breakfast club?"

"I suppose so. It is the first day back. What could possibly go wrong?"

The moment the words had come out of her mouth, Rachel regretted saying them. This was Waterloo Road after all. The simplest of ideas could always go up in flames. Especially when her sister was meant to be in charge and had not kept her eye on the ball. She surveyed the mess from the middle of the room, trying to stop the anger at her sister rising in her as Eddie tried to talk to Janeece about what had happened.

"Have you got any names Janeece?" She said as she turned to them.

"Miss, it was all of them."

Rachel was going to question her further when both Melissa and Adam happened to walk through the door at the same time. Eddie quickly dismissed Janeece, telling her that it wasn't her fault, probably to shield the pupil from seeing her unleashed her wrath on Melissa.

"What on earth happened?" Melissa asked as she surveyed the mess.

"You left a pupil supervising her peers. On her own. And even if Maxine had been there with her, you would have left them both for the mob. Instead, poor Janeece has left here, probably still feeling like it was her fault even though Eddie has told her otherwise."

"I had something that I needed to do."

"And it could have waited… 10 minutes. Hey?"

"Don't you think you are being a little harsh?" Adam said.

"A little harsh? Adam, this isn't me being harsh. This is my sister messing up again when she promised me she wouldn't let her eye off the ball this term. We are barely 20 minutes into the new term and this has already happened. Before the bell even rang."

"Rachel," Eddie said.

She felt the calming effect of his voice and she surveyed the mess once more. She knew that Adam had a small point. She was just angry at Melissa because her sister couldn't see any further than her own happiness. It was driving her insane and she could even tell Philip was getting angry at Melissa's blindness.

"This will need to be cleaned up by lunchtime at the latest. Candice and Rose aren't helping you, so I will have to go and find you some volunteers. Maybe all those who just happen to find themselves in the cooler this morning will be put to better use here."

"I'll go and tell whoever is on cooler duty that and to pass on the message."

"Thanks, Eddie." Rachel said just before he left. "And I am sure if you ask the caretaker nicely, he will give you everything you will need."

"I'm clearing up?" Melissa questioned.

She gave her sister a little dignity by walking closer to her before she said anything else.

"Yes. I've had to clean up your messes in the past. It is about time you start cleaning up your own." She said in a low voice.

"I never asked you to clean up my messes."

"No. You didn't. Maybe it was because I knew it was all going to be blamed on me if I didn't. And don't start again. You have already made it very clear that you don't think that highly of me when we were children."

"Maybe you shouldn't have been a control freak."

"Maybe you should stop seeing Mum with rose-tinted glasses."

Before another argument erupted between them, Rachel left for the safety and comfort of her office, hoping that the paperwork would be a good distraction until her deputy could join her.

"Have you spoken to Janeece again?" Eddie said.

"Yes. I even apologised for seemingly putting the blame on her and reassured her again that it wasn't her fault."

"Apparently, Adam didn't like the way that you spoke to Melissa this morning."

"She is a big girl. She can take it."

"Can you?"

Rachel cocked her head to one side. "What do you mean?"

"You looked really angry this morning. I can't remember the last time I saw you that angry."

"It was just bad timing. It's the first day back and we have already had one disaster before the bell even rang. Adam won't tell me his plans and I swear that this is just going to blow up in my face."

"It's not going to blow up in your face. Look it is two hours until lunch and you haven't had Candice knocking at your door about Adam yet. That is one battle won."

There was a knock at the door and Rachel knew that Eddie had tempted fate once more.

"I am going to need a drink before today is done," Rachel whispered to Eddie as he joined her in the corridor with the other teachers and the students.

"And I think Grantley is about to give you your next headache."

She groaned as the teacher approached them. In all honesty, she did like Adam's idea once he had explained it to her, Candice and Rose properly. The communal eating seemed like something that could help and she was willing to give anything a go.

"Mr Budgen."

Grantley opened his mouth, probably to complain about the wait, when Adam opened the doors to the canteen and welcomed them all in. It was probably the only time that Rachel was happy to see him. If anything, she would have loved to sit at a table with Eddie and talk to him to stop her racing thoughts about how the day was going. Instead, Adam basically put them on either side of the room. The only thing she was grateful of was that Eddie sat facing in the room like her. At least she could see glimpses of him.

He was straight over to her as soon as everyone had finished. They moved into the corner as they watched the pupils bring their plates and the serving dishes up to the side.

"If anything, I think Adam might have cottoned on." Rachel said.

"Either that or he sees me as a rival."

"Adam was just a friend."

"He might have been just a friend to you but was you just a friend to him?"

"Worked well. Don't you think?" She said, ignoring Eddie's last comment.

"Yeah, we will have to discuss it with Candice and Rose and maybe we will do it on a monthly basis or something like that."

"I should really talk to them and Adam, shouldn't I?"

"Definitely Candice and Rose. Unfortunately, I have double year 11 now. But I will take you for that drink tonight."

"I will hold you to that Lawson."

If the canteen had been more empty, she probably would have given him a quick kiss. Instead, she let him go with just a smile before hurrying the other students along.

Rachel tried to process everything that just happened while she waited for Eddie to set his class a task. She knew that she probably should have got him once she had calmed down but she found herself only wanting Eddie.

"What's happened, Rach?"

"I think you were right."

"About?"

"Adam."

"What's happened?" He repeated.

"I spoke to Candice and Rose and told them that we appreciate everything that they do and that the Breakfast club won't be happening tomorrow morning because we will have a meeting with Adam and Melissa to discuss it all. They were happy enough with that. Adam was doing something so I left to do some more paperwork.

"I returned later and he was the only one in the canteen and I told him that I thought that he would be better if he spoke to Candice and Rose as his equal rather than talking down to them and then somehow we got locked in the store cupboard and he confessed that all his little changes to himself and his personality had been because of me and I said that I didn't care and that I thought we were just friends and." She paused for a moment and took a deep breath as Eddie placed his hand on her shoulders. "Eddie, he told me that the problem was that we were just friends and then… He tried to kiss me."

He sighed. "Reason why I have manic worried Rachel at my door again."

"Joyce had come down because someone from the LEA was trying to get hold of me. I don't know what would have happened if… If she didn't come when she did."

"Do you want me to find someone to cover my lesson?"

She sighed. "No. I just… I just needed to tell you and it has helped me to process everything that has just happened."

"Sure?"

"Yeah. Definitely hold you to that drink now. I think I need it more than ever."

"Tom is on a free all afternoon if you need someone else."

She wanted him to hold her. To make all the new thoughts and old memories to stop due to the comfort of his embrace and love. It would have been made easier if the school knew that they were dating. Maybe they would have hugged in the corridor in front of the class. Instead, Eddie squeezed her shoulders before he dropped his hands to his side.

She knew that they would talk about it later. It just didn't help her in the meantime.

If it had just been the two of them, Eddie would have brought Rachel a bottle of red and just allowed her to down it at her own pace as they spoke over the events of the day.

However, once again, they seemed to be out with all of the staff and he could tell that Rachel was already very uncomfortable and was just waiting for everyone to go off into their little groups. He ordered her a large Merlot and himself a pint and as he waited, he tried to think of a good enough excuse to try and get Rachel to one side so that they could talk through her day and he could try and make her feel a little better. Because he knew that the last thing she wanted to do now was to go home with Melissa.

He wondered whether the most obvious thing to do would be to tell the truth.

"Rach, do you want to talk about that thing that you came to me about earlier?" He said as he arrived back at the table.

Eddie liked the way that Adam squirmed a bit before sitting up a little straighter. Eddie knew he had him.

"Yes, of course. And we need to discuss that other thing before the meeting tomorrow."

"What meeting?" Melissa said.

"Yes. Tom and Adam as well. I need you all in my office at 8 tomorrow morning. I think we need to discuss today and work out a way to move forward."

"So why do you need to discuss it now?" Adam asked.

"Because we have the final say on things." Rachel said as she grabbed her things.

They found a quiet corner away from them and Eddie shook his head as Rachel drank half the glass in one go.

"Why has everything gone wrong today?"

"Because this job has never been an easy ride."

"Eddie, you are going to have to deal with Adam from now on. I… I just don't think that I can be alone with him."

"I understand."

"I think you are the only one that does."

"That is probably because I know you like no one else does."

"I don't think I told you that I love you today." She said with a smile.

"And I don't think I have either. I do love you, Rachel."

He knew that she wanted to be more affectionate than that. She wanted to say more to him or do more to show him that she did love him. He knew that she didn't need to. Her eyes and smile always showed him that she loved him.