Thank you for the reviews.

Going to try and get this out of the way before I go back to IaWW, TIDU... mad idea last night that still has the potential to work... Although the main plan for the weekend is to get the last three chapters of this written... Because there are only five chapters left of this (insert shocked face).

Chapter Forty
We Want Mason!

Rachel was worried about how quiet everything seemed. It felt like all the students had already gone home for the day. It was a weird feeling and she had to keep looking at her watch to make sure that it was still the school day.

After failing to find Eddie and Tom, the next person she could think about going to with her massive problem was Kim, although she couldn't see it doing much good. Kim was the one to try and set up the truce between her and Max. Rachel wasn't so certain that she would see it as only Max not keeping his end of the bargain.

"Kim, I need to talk to you about something." She said as she walked into the Head of Pastoral Care office.

"Fire away."

"Did you know?"

"Did I know what?"

"That Max was planning to stab me in the back in that meeting."

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

"From day one, he has been trying to push me out of this school. He has…"

"Rachel, you can't keep blaming Max for everything."

"And you can't keep seeing him for the good guy that he isn't. The first day of term. He called me a wannabe leader who was distracted by my deputy. I have tried to be accommodating but…"

"But you can't."

"Not any more. Not when he is trying to undo all my hard work."

"Rachel, he hasn't got a personal vendetta against you."

"Oh, Kim… yes, he does. He wants me out of this school and…"

"I don't believe this."

Rachel sighed as she sat down on the arm of one of the chairs.

"I can't do this anymore Kim. But… I don't think I can leave the school with him."

"Well something has to give, doesn't it? Max has some brilliant ideas for the school. Maybe you would see that if you stopped fighting with him constantly. And Eddie hasn't made it any easier."

Kim was the wrong person to come to. She knew that. But she knew that Kim would give her the tough love that she needed to make the decision. Maybe it was the right time to go. She could take a year out. Spend time with the baby when it was born and move onto the next school the following September. She would have to convince Eddie to stay so that all their hard work didn't go down the drain. But maybe she should move on. She had never really stayed at a school this long before. Maybe everything that was happening was showing her that she had done everything that she could do.

Rachel went to open her mouth to tell Kim that she was right when they heard it. It was faint at first but it grew.

"We want Mason! We want Mason!"

They looked at each other for a moment before they both left to see where the noise was coming from.

As they got to the front of the school, the chant was almost deafening and Rachel tried to keep her emotions in check as they arrived at the doors to see all of the student body and staff standing outside, on the grass. She pushed open the doors and the chanting turned into applause. She could only laugh as Eddie tried to make his way towards her.

"Eddie, what the hell is going on?" Rachel said.

"It… might have gotten around the school that you had resigned."

"What? I…"

"Well, I had hoped that you hadn't just yet. You told me once that you told Max that you would like to see how loyal his students are compared to yours. Well, I don't think he has any loyalty."

If by magic, Max arrived and the way that the students booed and hissed at him made her smile.

"Shut up!" Max said as he lost his patience with them. "Anyone left out here in five minutes will find themselves in lunchtime detention on the first week back."

It surprised her when no one moved. She thought that there would at least be someone who was willing to forgo the protest instead of missing their lunchtime.

"They aren't going anywhere. And neither are the staff. You can't expel and fire all of us. We just have one simple demand." Eddie said.

"And what is that?"

They all started chanting again and Rachel only just clocked the car driving into the school. She just about managed to keep her balance as Max grabbed her arm. Eddie looked like he was going to punch Max as well as her noticing both Philip and Bolton looking like they were going to run to her aid.

"Stop this now."

"Stop what? This has nothing to do with me. I had no idea this was going to happen."

"They are chanting your name."

"And I told you that I would like to see how loyal your students are compared to mine. It just seems like all your students have decided to join mine. What was the big plan, Max? First Waterloo Road and then the other schools. Slowly taking them over? Or was it just something about me that you didn't like?"

"You are like a mother to them. Pampering to their needs. You've blurred the lines too many times and now no one knows where they stand."

"A family feel? Isn't that what you said once, Kim? That this school has a real family feel. You said that we ruled over two different sets of students. You rule. I help nurture. Your methods may have worked at John Fosters but they would never work here. I told you on our first day. You can't come in here and tell me that I don't know what these kids need. Me and my management team know what is best for them."

"And I couldn't agree more."

Rachel smiled as she saw Jennifer standing behind Max. She turned to Eddie and he smiled at her. So he was the one to call her.

"How about we take this inside? I think everyone has some explaining to do." Jennifer said.

The atmosphere in the office wasn't pleasant and Rachel took to leaning against the table instead of sitting down. She knew that she couldn't sit down at the moment.

"Max, you might be able to fool the governors but the LEA isn't going to be as easily fooled. And the things you have been coming up with recently are just… damn bizarre." Jennifer said.

"You might want to ask who his source is," Eddie said.

Jennifer turned to him before turning back to Max. "Who is your source?"

"I don't have a source. These are my own findings." Max said.

Rachel wished she knew what Eddie knew as he snorted out a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Max almost shouted.

"I am so glad Philip told me some of the things that he said to you. I mean, the whole thing about asking Tom Clarkson, of all people, to stand down as Head of English and give the position back to Grantly. How Grantly held the position of Head of English for so long I will never know. What was the other one? Oh, reducing Kim's role in Pastoral Care. I mean, how did you believe them?"

"Eddie, what is going on?" Rachel said.

"He bullied Philip into listening into our conversations at home about the school. Luckily Philip has a conscious. I think Bolton might have been helping him come up with the lies."

Rachel didn't know why she looked at Kim before she turned to Max. Maybe she was hoping that she was finally seeing Max for who he was.

"You bullied my nephew?"

"I didn't…" Max started.

"You told him that if he didn't, you would find a reason to fire me and Rachel and expel him from the school. You blackmailed him." Eddie said.

"I didn't. Kim, you don't believe this."

Kim just shook her head and Rachel felt sorry for her. Maybe she didn't realise how serious it was between them.

"And what about you going around our house and threatening Rachel?" Eddie said.

"How…" Rachel started.

"Philip told me everything after he had heard Max tell you that you had to resign today. He loses it because you weren't ready to tell him that you had told the LEA that you were pregnant. No wonder you looked so guilty when we announced it. It is why you have been constantly swarmed by students when you two are alone. Philip got the word out for you not to be alone with him." Eddie gave her a smile. "He must have learnt from the best."

Rachel shook her head. Everything just made more sense now that Eddie was explaining it. She knew that she would have to thank Philip. It had made her feel a lot safer around Max.

"And I said that you didn't have a personal vendetta against her," Kim whispered. "So the truce? Did that mean nothing to you?"

"Kim."

"Don't Kim me. I've… so there are two sides to you. I've seen one side and Rachel has seen the other. I have defended you time and time again and… for Rachel to be right about you all this time."

"Kim." Rachel said, reaching out to her. "It's fine. We will sort it out later."

"Chris?" Max said.

She looked at the man that was made her second deputy because Max thought that she wasn't impartial and she was glad that Max didn't really have an ally in the room.

"You've taken it too far this time. I thought it was weird every time you told me that we would have our school back but… I didn't think you would go this far."

"You have all got to be joking me," Max said.

"I'll give you this Max. I had pretty made up my mind that it would probably be best if I left. You can have that as a little victory. But… I would never allow the school to be left to someone who had no idea about the students." She paused. "I think you should start to clear your stuff from my office."

"Why?"

"Because the LEA is suspending you, pending an investigation," Jennifer said. "I know it seems like it was only Waterloo Road that you were targeting but we will be in contact with the three other schools, make sure you weren't using these taking over techniques on them as well."

It was in the way that Max laughed that worried Rachel slightly. He had stood behind her desk, probably very unaware of how things were going to turn on him. She knew that men like Max would always want to have the last word or lash out slightly because the decision was made against them. It was the only reason she could come up with when he walked over to her.

"You think you are so clever don't you?" He said.

"No. I just have a good network of people behind me. We work as a team here Max. This isn't a solo project. I couldn't do this without the support of a good deputy and an excellent Head of Pastoral Care. I am fortunate enough to have two good deputies now to bring this school up to scratch. This school will never be the best in the country, but we never kid ourselves about what we are about."

"No, you don't. I mean, we know what you were all about. Might not even be Lawson's baby."

Rachel didn't even have to look at Eddie to know what was about to happen. She held her hand out to Kim and pulled her towards her.

"Jennifer, you can turn a blind eye, can't you?" Eddie said.

"To what?" Max said as he turned around.

It was more satisfying than she could ever imagine as Eddie punched Max across the face, no different to how he had done with Stuart. Max stumbled but managed to catch himself before he went headfirst into the cupboards. It was the small smile that Eddie gave her afterwards. She knew he had been wanting to do that for so long.

"How about you just go Max? We will clear up your things and if we are nice, we might give them to Jennifer for you to pick up."

Max was still looking around for an ally and it seemed like even Jennifer wasn't going to do anything about Eddie punching him. It was the only time Rachel allowed herself to celebrate their little victory.

"Kim, come around ours tonight. Eddie's cooking and I am sure I have a bottle of wine that you can slowly make your way through." Rachel said.

"I wish I had listened to you."

"And I don't think it would be any different if it was the other way round. Like you said, you saw one side of him and I saw the other. You tried to keep the peace and the truce would have been a good thing. I drew a line in the sand. He obviously couldn't."

"And he said that you were distracted."

"I haven't totally been on the ball, have I?"

"You are pregnant."

"Come round, Kim. Just for my own peace of mind. I want my friend back and as much as you probably think you want to be alone, I don't want you to feel alone."

Kim slowly nodded. "Is Eddie good at cooking?"

"Better than mine." She waited a few moments. "Kim?"

"I… I think I might be pregnant."

"Oh, Kim."

"I've been thinking it all week. Just… not the ideal situation to be in."

"You know your options better than anyone. Come on, I'll tell Eddie that you are coming over and we can go together."

"After everything I have said this term, I don't think I deserve you as a friend."

"Maybe, maybe not. But you have me as a friend anyway." Rachel paused. "Come on. As awful as it is. You do need to know either way. Trust me, it doesn't go away by itself."

"Eddie told me about what happened with Stuart. I just… Max threatens you and you still came in every day and shared that office with him."

"I learnt a long time ago that you can't allow people to see how much they hurt you. You do just have to keep calm and carry on. Eddie is the first person I have ever allowed to get close to me."

"He really does love you."

"I know he does. And I really love him."

"You'll have to tell me about the smile on his face later."

"Oh I'll happily tell you all about that."

Rachel told Kim where the bathroom was before she walked into the kitchen. She made Eddie aware that she was there before she wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her head on his back, just being able to hear his heartbeat. He placed a hand over hers before moving it back to the task that he was trying to complete.

"It's been a long day." He said.

"Tell me about it."

"Is Kim going to be okay?"

"I think we are going to talk it all out."

"And at the worst, she has us to fall back on."

"Yeah she does." She sighed. "I know we aren't meant to talk about work on a Friday or during the holidays, but I think we need to sacrifice a day over the Easter holidays to regroup and get back on task. It is now even more important to make this merger work. And if they can rally to support me, there should be no worries anymore. We just have to get everything to work for the benefit of all the students."

"Actually, Chris said something to me the other week, about focusing on those students that want to go to university. I think it is more for the John Foster kids but someone like Karla could equally benefit from it."

"Well any of the kids that want to push themselves."

"Something to discuss?"

"Definitely. But that is what we need now. To focus the kids into something."

"Maybe we could think about the lessons for life again. Restarting that to help some of the other kids that are going to leave school to go straight into work."

"Could mix the two really. Both will require them to brush up on their interview techniques."

"But the four of us are going to do it as a team."

"I suppose we need to start preparing for my maternity leave."

"It will be weird going back in September without you being there."

"Well, I am not going to be there long either it seems," Kim said.

Rachel lifted her head and let Eddie go as she took in her friend's face. It wasn't totally clear whether it was what Kim wanted but Rachel knew that next school year was going to bring its own challenges.