The storm took a breath, and lashed out with driving rain and thunder.

Bex knocked on Karen's office door.

'Mum, are you busy?'

'Not really,' said Karen, confused. 'What are you doing here, darling, you're supposed to be in bed.'

'I need to talk to you,' murmured Bex.

Karen looked worried. 'Is everything OK, Bex?'

'Er, yeah, it is actually, but there's something I need to tell you.'

Chris sat down beside her. He wanted to take her hand and hold it tight, but he knew he couldn't. Not yet anyway.

'Mum, you know how I'm pregnant?'

Bex told her mum the same story she had told Jess, about her relationship and how the man had cared for her. She paused when she got to the difficult bit.

'But I don't understand, sweetheart? Are you saying you want to contact this man? Because that sounds like a great idea, I think it would really help you.'

'No Mum,' said Bex. 'I already have.' She glanced at Chris.

Karen looked bewildered, and her eyes turned to Chris for help. Then it seemed to dawn upon her.

'Chris? My deputy?'

Bex nodded and Chris took hold of her hand.

'But, how?' asked Karen, still disbelieving.

'He didn't know I was still at school Mum, and he didn't know who I was. I made up a name.'

Karen's face turned from confusion to fury.

'You were dating my daughter, she trusted you, and you let her walk away. My daughter was homeless and desperate and you didn't bother to look after her? You abandoned her!'

'No, Mum, it wasn't like that,' said Bex, desperately. 'I left him, and I left no way of contacting me. How was he supposed to know what I– what I was doing?'

'If he'd really 'loved' you, he'd have worked it out!' spat Karen, anger radiating from her.

'Karen,' said Chris. 'I really, really love Bex and I care for her deeply. It was the biggest mistake of my life letting her walk away and I want to help now. I want to help her raise this baby. So I'm resigning from my job at Waterloo Road.'

'I don't want to let you near my daughter,' said Karen in a low and furious voice. 'I fully accept your resignation, but do not expect a reference. And if I ever see you near Bex again, I'm calling the police. You're a teacher and she's still at school – you'd be locked up.'

Chris stood up to leave, anxious not to cause any trouble for Bex. But she held onto his hand and didn't let him go.

'No, Mum, you've got to listen! I love Chris and nothing you do is going to separate us again! Do you know what, this morning, I wasn't ill! I lied! I was going for an abortion because I was that desperate not to ruin Chris' life. But he realised where I was going, and he followed me, and he promised he would help me and he would make everything alright again. And he persuaded me not to kill my baby. And that wasn't to benefit him, or his baby. It was so I wouldn't have to live my life torn apart with regret and grief that I killed my own child. And if that's not love, then I don't know what is. And Mum, if you can't accept me and Chris then I'm leaving, to go and live with him.'

Karen was taken aback. Her daughter had grown up so much since she had last seen her. She couldn't bear to look at Chris – she knew he had done nothing wrong and that he loved Bex but she still felt the natural motherly hatred to the man who had gotten her daughter pregnant so young. But more than anything, Karen couldn't face losing Bex for a second time.

So she took a deep breath and said; 'OK, OK, I can't stop you. And please, please stay Bex, I wouldn't be able to cope without you.'

Bex ran over to her mum and hugged her.

'I don't know what I'd do without you, either, Mum. But I want you to be happy for us, too.'

'Well that might take time,' admitted Karen. 'But I'll try.'

'Thanks, mum,' said Bex, giving her a grateful smile.