Thank you for your patience on this, I will try and get back to updating on a more regular basis, but I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Six

The drive to the school was in silence and I was thankful that Sara had offered to drive, meaning I had some time to collect my thoughts. I couldn't understand how Lindsey would get herself into trouble - she wasn't at all aggressive and she didn't go looking for confrontation. How could she be in a fight and not be hurt? My head was spinning with the possibilities.

A few minutes later Sara parked up outside the school and we entered the large building. The corridors were long and cold, my heels and Sara's boots echoing with our steps. I led the way towards the principal's office, assuming that's where Lindsey would be. My heart was still racing and my stomach churned.

It was as Sara and I approached the principal's door that Sara took my hand in hers. Her hands were a little larger than mine and her fingers fit well between my own as she brushed the back of my hand with her thumb. "It's going to be okay." she told me, short but simple enough for me to know I had her support.

I gave her a soft smile and she returned it before letting go of my hand. I instantly longed for her touch but tried to clear my head as I knocked on the large green door in front us. "Come in." the voice from the other side called. I turned the handle and pushed the door, subconsciously taking a deep breath which shuddered in my chest with my nerves.

Sat in the large room was the stern-faced aging principal, her thin lips pursed, fingers drumming on the mahogany desk she was sat behind. Her glassy eyes stared over the desk at my little girl, Lindsey, who looked even smaller than her usual tiny frame. She was sat on a green plastic chair, her legs dangling, too short to reach the floor. She looked as though she'd been crying. "Miss Willows." the principal croaked sharply, "please take a seat."

I took a plastic seat next to Lindsey and squeezed her hand comfortingly. As I sat I realised Sara was stood awkwardly in the doorway. "Lindsey, will you go and wait with Sara outside whilst I talk to..." I searched the desk for a name plaque, "Miss Ford."

Lindsey didn't wait to be told twice, grabbing her rucksack from her side and rushing to take Sara's open hand.

I smiled gratefully at Sara and she returned it, "We'll just be out here when you're ready." she said softly.

The door clicked closed and Miss Ford's long bony fingers stopped their tapping. "Lindsey was involved in a fight." she said simply, coldly. I narrowed my eyes at the woman in front of me. How could she be responsible for children? She was obviously a dreadful woman.

"What happened?"

"An argument broke out in the science department between your daughter and a classmate of hers, Ellis Paige. Lindsey pushed Ellis into a table and the poor girl cut her hand on a vile and had to have stitches."

"What was the argument about?" I couldn't help but feel mortified that Lindsey had done this. Mortified and utterly devastated.

I watched the old woman's lips turn into a hint of a smile before she replied in her same cold manner, "Apparently you are not around for Lindsey very often."

"My sister Nancy helps me out as my work takes up a lot of my time. What's this got to do with anything?"

"Well Ellis said she brought the subject up with Lindsey and the next thing she knew Lindsey had pushed her."

I held my tongue with all my might. This was out of order. I breathed out the air I realised I had been holding before getting to my feet. "Was there anything else?"

"Lindsey is suspended for the rest of the week." Miss Ford turned her attention to her paperwork as soon as she had finished her sentence.

I left the room with my fists clenched with anger at the woman's lack of understanding or sympathy to Lindsey's feelings. I knew I would have to discuss this with my little girl, but now wasn't the time.

Sara and Lindsey stood someway down the corridor and I made my way to them. Lindsey still had a tight grip of Sara's hand, a scrunched up tissue in the other, I assumed Sara had given it to her as her face looked more tear-stained than before. Lindsey's pink rucksack was slung over one of Sara'a shoulders.

"Let's get out of here." I said to them both and Lindsey grabbed my hand with her tissue hand. I was worried, really worried, about the behaviour of my little girl, but I knew I didn't have the whole picture yet, and when I did I would be able to find some sense in it all.

We headed back through the winding corridors and into the late-afternoon sunlight, Lindsey keeping hold of mine and Sara's hands until Sara unlocked the car for us to get in. Lindsey climbed in the back, Sara taking the driving seat again, with me in the front passenger seat. Sara started the engine as we buckled up, and I was grateful when she turned the radio on to prevent an uncomfortable silence.

The drive to my house was short, but enough time for Lindsey to have fallen asleep. Sara parked up the car in my drive and I threw her the front door keys as I lifted Lindsey out of her seat carefully.

She stirred a little, latching her arms around my neck, but didn't wake. I carried her into the house and whispered "I'll be back down in a second" to Sara before making my way up the flight of stairs.

My house was big, a present funded by Sam, and I loved it, but if I was to be truthful it was a little too big, even with Nancy living with us - I remembered that she wouldn't be back from work until nearly midnight, which gave me a few hours before I'd have to recite today's events to her. I placed Lindsey in her bed, pulling her shoes off gently before placing her duvet over her body. We would talk tomorrow.

I made my way back downstairs to see Sara standing awkwardly in my hallway. I realised that I'd never been alone in my house with her, previously it had been all the team that had come over for coffee or one time I'd made disastrous spaghetti bolognaise, to which they'd all insisted they had enjoyed, but it had tasted really bad.

I also realised how much Sara had done for me in the last two hours - I couldn't just let her go home, and I didn't want to. "Would you like to stay and have some dinner?" I asked, albeit quite nervously. I saw the memory of spaghetti bolognaise flash in her eyes and quickly added, "We'll get it delivered."

She smiled, "That'd be nice."

"There's a pile of takeaway menus in the living room, if you want to grab whatever takes your fancy." I motioned to the room ahead of us. "Would you like a drink?"

"Do you have beer?" she asked. She seemed as nervous as I was, I couldn't remember a time I'd see Sara so uncertain.

I nodded and headed into the kitchen. I was beginning to realise what I'd let myself in for, what I'd set up - dinner with Sara Sidle, in my house. I wanted so badly to take her upstairs to my bed, it was now only a flight if stairs away. Desperately trying to rid the thoughts of Sara in my bed, I opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of beer for her.

Beautiful Sara, in my bed.

I popped the cap off the bottle and poured myself a glass of wine.

With my hands all over her.

A frustrated sigh escaped my lips and I poured myself a short whiskey to try and calm myself. I downed it quickly and revelled in the sting it provoked in my throat. This was going to be a difficult evening.