Disclaimer: I do not own Waterloo Road, as it is the property of the BBC.

Chapter 27

It was now Monday 3rd September, and time for another year at Waterloo Road.

It had been all change in the Clarkson-Granger-Aspinall residence. Brett and Mika had found somewhere to live in the city, and were due to start university in a few weeks. For now they were living happily in their flat, and Brett had passed his driving test.

Donte's dad had moved away, and Donte had moved into the room that Brett vacated, whilst Mika's room was decorated and all ready for a baby.

Anna and Tom's baby was due on 1st September - just under two months away - and her 7 month pregnant stomach was bulging, her face radiating such a glow.

Tom took her hand and held onto it tight as they crossed the courtyard, leaving Donte and Chlo behind.

When they entered the staff room, their friends immediately gushed over them.

' Here, Anna, sit down,' Matt said, offering her his chair.

' Can I get you a drink? ' Jasmine asked.

' No,' Anna sighed,' I don't want fussing over, Tom'll do it. '

Tom tutted,' Oh, will he now? ' he muttered sarcastically as he went off to do exactly as Anna had said he would do.

Jasmine smiled at her,' Oh my God, you've gotten so big - I can't believe that I haven't seen you all summer. Look at you! '

' I thought that you were taking maternity leave now? ' Matt asked.

' I'm just here until the end of the month,' Anna shrugged,' I wanted to come back for a few weeks, so that my cover teacher gets the feel of how I teach my classes . . . make an easy transition for them all. '

' What have you been up to over the summer? 'Matt asked them both.

' Just went to stay with my family, in Scotland,' Jasmine shrugged.

Anna smiled,' Tom and I were getting stuff ready for the baby. We were painting the nursery . . . buying stuff . . . I can't wait. '

' Is it a boy or a girl? ' Jasmine asked.

' We don't know. We want to keep it a suprise for when he or she actually comes. I think that Tom's going to be such a great dad,' she beamed, looking back over her shoulder at him. '

Tom laid a hand on her shoulder,' Why thank you - and you're going to be a fantastic mother. '

' Anna! ' Eddie called from the other side of the room.

Anna looked up at him.

' Departmental meeting first lesson after lunch? The whole department's got a free period, right? '

' Right,' Anna nodded.

*****

Anna's day started out with a difficult class.

' So,' she said, sat behind her desk,' first lesson back after holidays. It's your final GCSE year, so we're really going to make a go of this, alright? '

' Boring,' called out a boy at the back of the room.

Anna narrowed her eyes - the boy sat at the back of the room, arms folded, looking very bored. She decided that he must be a new pupil, as she didn't recognise him.

She continued,' Unfortunately, I won't be taking you for the majority of this year. I'll be leaving at the end of this month, and I won't be back until after Easter. '

' We're not bovvered, Miss,' the boy called out.

' So,' she said, ignoring the boy,' I hope you'll all welcome Mrs Shaw, who will take you in my absense. '

Mrs Shaw was sat at the back of the classroom, observing - she was a short, squat woman, aged around 50.

The rude boy snorted,' Old bag. '

Anna glared,' What's your name, boy? '

' Earl Kelly,' said the boy, lifing his chin defiantley.

' Well, Earl Kelly, you'll keep quiet in my class room, unless you want to find yourself in serious amounts of trouble. '

' Don't care,' shrugged Earl.

' You will care when you're in detention every night this week,' Anna threatened.

Earl stood up, walking towards Anna, and stopping a few paces away from her. She backed herself against the desk, and he glared at her.

Anna noticed Chlo and Donte exchange looks of worry.

' Just exactly who do you think that you are?' he demanded.

' Excuse me? ' hissed Anna,' I think - no, I know - that I'm your teacher, and you will do as I say, when I say, because I say so. Now sit down. '

Donte quickly stood up, and made his way to Anna's side,' 'Ere mate, back off, and leave her alone. ' he said.

Earl glared,' Don't want to. '

' Sit back in your seat! ' Anna yelled.

' Back off and leave her alone,' Donte repeated, standing up for his sort-of-step-mother-in-law.

' You going to make me? ' Earl snarled.

' Sit down, Kelly, you insolent little boy! ' she shouted,' and will someone go and fetch Mr Lawson? '

Mrs Shaw went to fetch the deputy head.

' What did you just call me? ' he asked, moving closer to her, with her having no way to back off.

' Cooler. Now,' Anna demanded.

There was a moment of pause.

' Go! Now! ' Anna yelled.

Earl shook his head, and shoved his maths teacher sideways, before fleeing out of the room.

Luckily, Anna stumbled, but didn't fall because Donte quickly grabbed a hold of her.

There was a gasp from the pupils, and a chorus of everyone asking if she was alright.

Donte looked at her,' Do you want me to go and get Tom for you? ' he asked,' do you think that you're alright? '

Eddie entered the room at that point, he looked at her - Donte with one hand on her arm.

' What happened? ' he asked.

' Eddie, I'm fine,' said Anna,' that new boy - Earl Kelly - got a bit out of hand. Refused to follow instructions, and shoved me out of the way. '

' Anna? Are you alright? ' pressed Eddie,' are you sure? Should we send you to get checked out? '

' I am fine,' Anna insisted,' will you just get after that Kelly boy? '

5 minutes later, Anna was in the middle of a sentence when she winced and broke off.

' Are you alright? ' called Chlo, worried.

' I'm fine - just a twinge. '

*****

Anna didn't mention anything to Tom about Earl Kelly, not wanting to worry him. But these "twinges" continued throughout the rest of the morning - they weren't regular, and they didn't hurt . . . she just passed them off as nothing.

After lunch, the mathematics department were in their departmental meeting in Anna's class room, since she was the head of the department.

She was listening to what Eddie had to say about the use of computers in the subject, when suddenly she gasped loudly, and bent over double, hands on her stomach.

' Anna? ' Eddie asked, in great concern,' Anna! '

She moaned, and her face contorted in pain, mixed with suprise as something trickled down her leg.

' Oh no,' she whispered.

' What? What is it? ' he demanded.

' My waters just broke - I-I'm going into labour. ' she announced.

' What? You're not due for another two months! ' Eddie exclaimed.

' Try telling that to my uterus! That thing will Earl Kelly this morning must have set me off . . . I've been having twinges all morning, since. '

' Oh God,' Eddie muttered,' do you think that you can walk? We'll get you an ambulance. '

Eddie wrapped his arms around her, and guided her down the corridor, where the noises that they made attracted the attentions of the pupils in the classrooms, who looked out of the window at her.

Eddie helped her down the corridors, and threw open the door of Tom's classroom as they passed down the English corridor.

' Tom! ' he yelled from the doorway,' she's going into labour! '

Tom looked at the pair in alarm, and left his class behind, hurrying to Anna's side, and wrapping his arm around her shoulders, taking Eddie's place, as Eddie ran off to phone an ambulance from Rachel's office.

' Tom - it's too early . . . the baby's not going to make it,' she gasped, face contorting as another contraction hit.

' No, sweetheart, everything's going to be fine, I promise.'

' We're going to lose it,' she moaned.

' No. No, we're not. I won't let that happen to us. '

' It's too early,' Anna insisted as they got to the courtyard, and waited for the ambulance,' that . . . Earl Kelly, shoved me this morning in my first lesson, and I think that's set me off. It hurts so much, Tom. '

' We're going to be fine. '