Here's the next chapter, I'm glad you're liking the plot so far!

After dropping Abigail off at nursery that morning Rachel had gone for a job that had been advertised. It was only a cleaning job but she needed all of the money that she could get her hands on at that moment in time and couldn't afford to be picky about what she did. She made her way through town, checking her phone regularly in case she had a call coming through about it. She didn't. Rachel sighed, if she couldn't get a cleaning job she didn't hold out much hope for getting anything else and she couldn't afford waiting a long time to start earning some money.

Rachel walked into a paint shop, trying to rid herself of all of her thoughts while she concentrated on what she was doing. She was almost sure that she had aged at least ten years in the past week. Rachel had promised Abigail she would get a room of her own and though she had thought about buying a TV she hadn't wanted to break her promise. It was with that thought in mind she leant forwards and picked up the cards in the store with the different shades of pink on, flicking through them and debating for around ten minutes before finally deciding on a baby pink color.

A princess's room for her princess. Rachel smiled at the thought.

Rachel used what little money she did have to buy paint, cushions, accessories and a lamp for Abigail's room and before she knew it, it was time to collect her from nursery. Rachel was so relived that Abigail had seemed to settle into nursery after a rocky start. She knew that it was a big deal for her to start there and with all of the other changes that had happened in her life over the past week and she would have been lying if she'd said that she hadn't been apprehensive about her reaction. After quickly getting the bus she jogged up to the entrance and was relieved when she found that the children hadn't been let out yet. Rachel leaned against the wall gently and was thinking about whether she could get Abigail's room painted in a night when she felt someone stand next to her. As she turned to find out who it was she smiled automatically as Finn spoke.

"Someone's been busy . . ." he gestured to the carrier bags, mimicking how Rachel was stood by also leaning against the wall.

"Someone's daughter needs her bedroom decorating." she subtly checked her phone after answering him.

"Oh right, if you need a hand let me know . . ."

"You mean you would risk getting your designer jeans dirty"

Finn smirked "anything for you Rachel," his tone was laced with sarcasm.

"It wouldn't be for me it'd be for Abigail . . ."

Finn opened his mouth to reply but before he could get the words out the doors of the nursery opened and children slowly started to make their way out. After four children, Finn and Abigail stepped out hand in hand and walked in their direction. Rachel laughed, "I think they're getting quite fond of each other . . ."

"He's a fast learner is my son, sweet-talking the ladies already."

"Taking after his dad no doubt"

"You know me so well already"

Rachel snorted and shook her head a little "now why do I think you're exaggerating"

"I'll have you know I am quite the ladies man, but unfortunately for all you females I'm now married."

Rachel felt a stab of disappointment but she masked it quickly and answered him again, "I think I feel sorry for her, your wife."

Finn feigns shock "I'm offended . . ."

"yeah yeah" Rachel smirked and leant down to pick Abigail up as she reached her. "Hello baby . . ." she ruffled Finn's hair gently "hey pal, did you have a good day?"

Finn gives her a shy smile and nods before Finn picks him up and puts him on his shoulders, talking to Rachel while doing so. "What time do you want to pick Abigail up?"

Rachel frowned "hey?"

"I thought she was coming for her tea?"

"Oh . . . I completely forgot, erm . . ."

"Mama come?" Abigail asked and before Rachel could answer, Finn did.

"Of course she can"

Rachel shrugged gently before nodding "well I think that's that decision made" she chuckled.

"The car is just around the corner, Dom will take us back."

Rachel frowned "Dom?"

"My driver"

When Rachel arrived at Finn's house she swallowed hard, they'd had to go through electric gates just to get onto the huge drive. As she stepped inside she felt minuscule, the hallway alone was bigger than the house that she was living in. As she entered the house there was a grand staircase before her leading to a balcony before the rooms that were upstairs, though she wasn't sure how many there were she guessed it was in double figures. There were numerous rooms to either side of where the stairs were and no doubt more beyond that. Rachel silently wished that she'd had time to change, suddenly feeling very underdressed in leggings and a jumper in the house that seemed like it had just been taken from a movie scene.

Rachel jumped when her thoughts were interrupted by a lady speaking, she must have only been about 25 and at first Rachel thought that she was Finn's wife. She had long chocolate brown hair that flowed in curls down her back and a warm smile. She seemed nice, friendly, though Rachel knew all too well that appearances could be deceiving, very deceiving.

"Rachel this is April, our cleaner, cook and nanny. She's a woman of many talents."

April quietly laughed, "oh stop" she shook her head at Finn who smiled "it's nice to meet you Rachel"

Rachel returned the smile and nodded "you too" she answered politely, confused at the feeling of relief that washed over her when April turned out to be someone who worked for Finn and not who he was married to.

"This is Abigail" Finn smiled, gesturing to the toddler who was stood by Rachel with one arm wrapped around her leg half hiding.

"Hello Abigail" April smiled "I like your hair band"

Abigail smiled shyly "hi"

Finn smiled at the exchange before interrupting "Rachel and Abigail have come for their tea"

"What would you like? I'll get onto it"

Finn shook his head "I was thinking we could order pizza, some drinks would be nice though."

April nodded and left and Finn stepped a little closer to Rachel with a smile. That smile . . . Rachel silently told herself off for her thoughts and tried to concentrate on what he was saying.

"You do like pizza don't you?"

Rachel laughed quietly and nodded "yeah pizza is fine Finn . . ."

"What toppings would you like?"

"A plain one please, Abigail won't eat it if there's any kind of peppers or anything on there."

"What would you like?"

"I'll just share her's"

"Don't be daft"

Rachel sighed "pepperoni then"

Rachel ran her hand over Abigail's hair gently as Finn encouraged her to go through into the playroom with his son and when Finn held his hand out she took it and followed him. When they disappeared into one of the rooms and Abigail's excited squeal sounded into the hall seconds after she'd stepped inside, Rachel guessed it was as grand as the house Finn lived in though she wouldn't have expected it to be anything else. Her thoughts were interrupted once more when Finn spoke.

"Do you want to go and sit in there" he gestured with his hand to a room to her right "I'll just go and tell April what we want and get the drinks."

Rachel nodded and walked into the room Finn had gestured to as he went into the kitchen. The gasp that escaped her lips was out before she could stop it at the room she now found herself in. The house she had lived in before running away had been big and she'd thought of that as some sort of palace, but it was nothing compared to the house she was in at that moment in time. Could it even be called a house? Mansion seemed more appropriate.

The room was huge and painted in cream with a large window on the bottom wall. There was a large L shaped red couch and the wall opposite it was a bold red color too with a very large TV in the centre. Underneath the TV there was a top of the range CD player and Rachel found herself idly wondering what kind of music Finn liked. Rachel stepped back out of the room and took her shoes off before entering once again and venturing further inside this time. The carpet was as she expected, luxurious and thick, one that allowed your feet to sink right into it as you walked. She made her way over to the couch and sat down, fairly sure that what it had cost to decorate the room would be enough for her to decorate the whole house that she was living in.

Finn walked into the room with a glass in each hand and sat down beside Rachel on reaching the couch. "Red wine" he smiled and handed her a glass, "I hope you like it"

Rachel nodded her answer "how are Abigail and Finn getting on?"

"They seemed to be having fun when I took them drinks in"

"She isn't going to want to come home."

"Well she can come here anytime she likes she's lovely . . . Like her mum"

Rachel laughed a nervous laugh before raising the glass Finn had brought her to her lips to have a sip. "Your home is gorgeous"

"Thank you" Finn smiled

"Where's you're wife?"

Finn's smile fell a little and but he hid it was best as he could while he answered "she's shopping in New York this week and she was with her parents a week before that."

"Oh she has expensive taste then, I couldn't imagine leaving Abigail for two weeks I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

Finn laughed and nodded in agreement, frowning when Rachel checked her phone once again. "My company isn't that bad is it?"

Rachel frowned "what do you mean?"

"Are you waiting for a get out call?" he raised his eyebrow a little, teasing her.

Rachel laughed "you're not quite that bad Finn . . . I was waiting for a call, just not a call that gets me out of here"

"Oh I am honored"

"You should be" she teased.

"So if it's not a get out call what kind of call is it?"

"I went for a job this morning and they told me they were going to call me to let me know whether I'd got it or not. It doesn't seem too likely now does it?" she sighed.

"What kind of job was it?"

"A cleaning job . . ." Rachel mumbled, feeling herself blush at admitting it. She was embarrassed but she knew she couldn't afford to be, not when it wasn't just herself that she had to think about.

Finn frowned and shook his head a little, and though he hadn't known Rachel long he felt like he wanted to help her and the thought of her stuck cleaning getting peanuts wasn't something that he welcomed. "Sod them I know of a job that'll be better work than cleaning and will pay more"

"You do?"

He nodded "an office job"

"I've never worked in an office before, I don't think I'd have much of a chance . . ."

Finn grinned, "I think you do . . ."

"What are you smiling at me like that for?"

"I need someone to work in the office of my factory, the woman in charge is trying to do two people's jobs and I was going to start advertising but . . . I think I've found my perfect woman."

Rachel's breath hitched at his words and she silently wondered whether he had chose them for more than one reason though quickly dismissed it. No, he was happily married and she needed to stop with those kind of thoughts. "Finn, I don't think it would be such a good idea . . . I wouldn't know what I was doing and it sounds like you need someone who can go in and get on with things straight away."

"But with a teacher like me I don't think it'd be long before you were all but running the place"

"You'd teach me?"

He nodded, a mischievous grin forming over his lips. "Yep"

His smile . . . I wish he'd stop doing that Rachel thought, despite knowing she would be disappointed if he did. After losing her train of thought once more Rachel found herself just smiling back at him like an idiot.

"So what do you say?"

She nodded "I say, let's give it a try."

Finn smiled and raised his glass to clink with hers and after doing so they both had a mouthful, small smiles playing on both of their lips as they drank.

After having their pizza and staying a little longer than intended, Rachel wrapped her arm around Abigail once her coat and her shoes were on. "Say thank you to Finn for letting you come to play"

"Thank you" Abigail repeated as Rachel put her boots on while she turned and gave little Finn a cuddle, "bye bye."

Rachel picked Abigail up after putting her jacket on and held her on her hip. "Thanks for tonight Finn . . ."

"You're welcome, Dom is going to take you home."

"Oh no really, it's fine."

"It's none negotiable Rachel . . ."

She laughed a little and nodded "fine . . ."

Rachel had been about to leave when Finn placed his hand on her arm and kissed her on the cheek. "This is our last conversation before you have to start calling me boss . . . Night night Rachel."

"In your dreams, Finn." she smirked before going to get into the brand new Mercedes with Abigail. When Dom got into the front and asked her where she wanted to go, she knew she couldn't really tell him where she lived. Finn associating with someone who lived on a scruffy council estate wasn't something she could imagine and thought that if he found out where she was really living he would cut all contact, and it was a thought which effected her more than she cared to admit. "Can you just drop me off at the shop on the corner by the nursery please? I need to pick up a couple of things . . ."

"Of course Miss."