Thank you for the reviews.

Now, I have tried to play down a few things. Like I know the whole Linsdey James storyline is a massive one for series 5 but that isn't featured here... I mean there is already enough misery in this story without that adding to it.

Don't worry, it is all sort of up from here... I mean that is a good thing right?

Series 5 Episode 2 with Eddie...

Chapter Thirty Two
Multiple Conflicts

Rachel sighed as she started the ascent to her office, that wasn't really her office any more. Max had only been there a week and the job that she loved was starting to become a chore. The only good thing was that she still had Eddie and Kim that she could rely upon, meaning that if Max wanted to get anything done, it had to go through one of them that would happily question why it was coming from Max and not her. Well, Eddie would definitely question it.

"Morning," Kim said as she caught her up.

"Morning, ready for this management meeting?"

"Bit late notice wasn't it?"

"It was when I didn't even organise it."

Rachel could only smile as Eddie smiled down at her before walking into the antechamber.

"Are you two okay?" Kim said as they took the last remaining steps to her office.

"Yeah, we are just keeping it… a little low key. Just with everything that happened on the first day of term, I don't want to be accused of taking my eye off the ball."

"I don't think anyone will accuse you of that."

Rachel huffed as they entered her office, finding that Max had yet again, taken her desk. She placed her bags down by the table before hanging her coat up. What she couldn't stop smiling at was the fact that Eddie had placed a cup of coffee on the table for her, as well as a drink for himself and Kim, before sitting down. As much as she didn't really want him winding Max up, it was a perfect way of showing him that they were together on this and Max was the outsider.

"No drink for me?" Max said.

"Sorry, force of habit," Eddie said.

She struggled to keep a straight face as Max looked rather annoyed by it. Something she would jokingly tell Eddie off for later.

"No worries, Chris can make me one when he gets here," Max said as he sat down.

She looked at Kim before looking at Eddie and back to Max.

"Sorry, why is Chris coming?" Rachel asked.

"I've appointed Chris as your second deputy. As it seems like you can not remain impartial on the simplest of things, it will be beneficial for the school if someone from John Fosters was on your management team. Chris was my deputy at John Fosters after all. I know he will do his job."

"As Eddie does his." She paused. "No fine. It will be good to get another person's opinion on things. I've always prided myself on having a strong management team. I am sure Chris will make an excellent addition."

Eddie gave her a look that meant that he didn't really believe that she meant what she had said with the full passion that she had said it with but she knew that she had to give Max a little something in hopes that he gave her something back.

"Did you know that Max has put Philip in the cooler?" Eddie almost shouted down the corridor at her.

"No. What for?" Rachel said as they stopped in front of each other.

"Philip won't say. He says it was nothing but I think he is afraid of letting you down again."

"I haven't told Max that he is my nephew."

"Do you? I mean, it isn't like things keep quiet around here."

"Oh God. Just another thing."

"Why what else has happened?"

She sighed. "Helen has lost control of one of her classes again. Another fight. That Max took over with dealing with it. Then Kim comes in. Amy Porter has just accused Bolton of sexual assaulting her."

"What?!"

"Max wants him and Kim to do the interviews while I run the school." She took a breath. "I know. It is better that I am away from it all. Probably but… Someone needs to be there to defend Bolton. Are you on a free?"

"Yeah."

"Can you go and make sure that Bolton gets a fair hearing? I have this feeling that Max will interview him on his own."

"Of course. What are you going to do?"

"Well, I think I need to have a word with Philip before I do anything else. And then hope that nothing else goes wrong today."

"Nothing will, okay." He said as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't go all manic worried Rachel on me. It won't help."

"No. It won't. Just… try not to punch Max if he accuses Bolton of everything under the sun. Right now, I think I would like to be there when you do it."

He laughed. "Don't worry. I won't punch Max without you being there."

She gave him one last smile before they headed off in the direction that the other one had just come from, to set about their tasks.

Last year, Rachel felt like she had a reason behind her spiralling thoughts and therefore, the way that things went weren't great. She wasn't so certain that she should be feeling the same way that she did then but that was the way that she was feeling.

"And to think, you stood up for the boy. This is why you don't tolerate low-level disruption. You have to stamp it out." Max said as they waited for the police.

"Really? Because we already did that. Now Bolton isn't one of our star pupils, but he is a totally different person to the one that started at this school two years ago."

"I don't see that you have done."

"And your methods would have been better? Humiliating and bullying punishments?"

"Excuse me?"

"From what I heard, you didn't really give Bolton a fair trial and then Denzil Kelly. On his hands and knees scrubbing the playground after doing what exactly? What are you trying to prove Max?"

"I'm not trying to prove anything."

"I think you are. And I don't want to see one of my pupils doing that again. You do not know these pupils or where they have come from or what they have been through. Why did you put Philip Ryan in the cooler?"

"He was out of lessons when he shouldn't have been and he had the audacity to talk back at me."

"Talkback or try and explain? Because he told me that you sent him there, without him explaining that he was on a free and he had just asked Tom for permission to get a book out of the English cupboard because the book he was given was falling apart." She paused. "Tell me I am a rubbish headteacher, tell me that I can't do my job. Just never, ever take it out on my students. Because the problem you have is, there are more Waterloo Road students here than John Fosters. I would like to see how loyal your students are compared to mine."

"I do wonder why you think so highly of them. You rule over thieves and slackers. I rule over people that will achieve."

"And with the right teachers and the right head, these kids will all achieve. You just won't give them a chance. This school is and will always be built on more than just league tables and exams."

Rachel was grateful for the distraction of the police. It meant that she didn't have to continue the battle of words with Max and this time, at least, she got in the last word. In fact, she felt like it was best to just to leave Max to it. She left him to go and see where Kim had gotten to regarding trying to persuade Bolton to open the door.

"What's the rush for Max?" Eddie said as he jogged down the stairs.

"Bolton Smilie has Amy locked in Kim's office. There is a serious rush. He is obviously not the person you thought he was."

Eddie just shook his head as he followed the two police officers through the door. This had all been blown out of proportion and he didn't know whether he should be glad to see Rachel and Kim, walking Amy down the corridor towards them.

It was clear that Max was still trying to be in control of the situation.

"Amy, are you alright?"

"She's completely unharmed," Kim said.

Rachel shared a look with him and Eddie knew that there was more to it than that. Something that they would surely talk about later, at home.

"Where's Smilie?"

"I let him go." Rachel said.

"What?"

"He's not guilty of anything, apart from stupidity."

"Who assaulted her then?" One of the police officers asked.

"It turns out nobody assaulted Amy, did they?" Kim said, quite forcefully for her.

"No Miss," Amy said. "I'm sorry for wasting all your time."

There was another look from Rachel before she said to Amy about collecting her things. If anything, it felt like a little triumph for Eddie. Even though they were trying not to make it all them and us, he could see it was what Max was trying to do. Either that or just make Waterloo Road into John Fosters. Which wasn't going to happen in a million years.

"Look, I'm really sorry that you were called out. It was a complete misunderstanding." Kim explained. "It was a boy/girl tiff that just blew out of control. She was lying."

It wasn't until after Max and the police left that Eddie said anything.

"Are you okay Kim?"

"No." She paused. "I think it tells you something when even Bolton Smilie, who had been accused of rape, tells you that you might have taken it too far."

"How do you mean?"

"I exploded at Amy after she told me that she was lying. I… Lewis Seddon tried it with me and it just brought back all the memories of that."

"Kim. Look, I think Rachel could do with a drink as well. Shall we all go for one? I'll buy."

"It's been a day, hasn't it?"

"I don't think it has been a day that Rachel would like to repeat. Even if it didn't happen."

"What do you mean by that?"

Eddie realised he had said too much. "It isn't really for me to say but… I've put my foot in it now. About a year and a half ago, she… she was raped in her office. By Stuart Hordley. She never went to the police about it and Tom is the only other person who knows the truth. I never asked anyone else whether they put two and two together when Stuart publicly announced 'she might have been good while she was a prostitute but she is no good now.'"

"God, poor Rachel."

"I think it might have been the first thing that Max has done right. Pushing her out of the situation so she can worry about Philip and Denzil instead."

"I'm sure she will explain at the pub."

"Quick question, do you think Max knows that Philip is Rachel's nephew?"

"No idea."

"Go and get your stuff and we will meet you out front."

Kim smiled and nodded at him.

"Thank you, Lawson." Rachel said as he brought over a pint for himself and a bottle of red for her and Kim.

"A bottle? Really?" Kim said.

"Rachel could probably drink that by herself."

"What a day?!"

Eddie sat down and pour them their wine before relaxing back in his chair.

"Please say that every day isn't going to be like that." He said.

"If only for my own sanity." Rachel said.

"What happened with Philip and Denzil?" Kim asked.

"Max sent Philip to the cooler before he could explain that he was on a free period and had been given permission by Tom to get another book from the English store cupboard because his one was falling apart. And poor Denzil, out with a brush and a bucket, scrubbing the playground."

"You are kidding me."

"Kim, I wish I wasn't." Rachel took a mouthful of drink. "And I don't think things start off well this morning. You should have at least offered him a drink." She said as she lightly tapped Eddie's arm.

"You loved it. You couldn't keep a straight face." He said.

"Why is he conducting our management meetings? And why is he at Waterloo Road all the time?" Kim asked.

"He doubts my ability as head and has even told the LEA that."

"You're joking."

"Kim, I wish I was." Rachel groaned. "And we have that meeting with the rest of the schools tomorrow night, that we obviously have to host, now that he is there permanently. Max, me and three other headteachers that he has no problems with."

"Don't worry. I am sure he will see your worth in the end." Kim said.

Rachel turned and looked at Eddie, wanting to believe Kim's words but not allowing herself to. She needed to tell Eddie about everything. It was probably the only way that she was going to get through it.