The day after the fight for Sameen, and Eddie had a mission. He found himself at school early yet again but this time, there was no headteacher who had beaten him in, no other cars in the carpark. It was so early that he had to dig out his set of keys to unlock the doors, his footsteps echoing as he walked the corridors to the office.

He could have done his research from home, but it was easier to use the printer here. His own seemed to have a vendetta against him. Bridget's desk was comfy enough, as he scrolled through pages and pages, hitting print each time he saw one that seemed particularly applicable. So engrossed was he in his reading, he didn't even notice as time ticked closer to the morning bell, and the noise level outside began to rise.

"Eddie?"

Rachel's puzzled voice broke him from his reverie. She stood in the doorway, still in her coat, her bag hung over her shoulder as she looked at him curiously.

He looked at her, slightly sheepish, completely resolute. "Morning." He pushed away from the desk, collected the papers from the printer. "I need to talk to you."

Surprise flashed across her face, closely followed by wariness. But she nodded, led him into her office and hastily stripped off her coat before looking at him. "Well?"

Eddie shoved a hand in his pocket. "I was talking to Candeece yesterday," he began. "She was telling me about Bolton and his job. The hours he's working, before and after school- it's why he's so tired all time. Only the thing is, there are laws around underage workers. And Hordley breaks most of them."

He waved the papers in his hand to prove his point. Rachel looked at him baffled confusion, opening and closing her mouth a few times before she spoke. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because this could be how we get him!"

She stared back at him, lips parted in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"Look," he leant forward, face serious. "Regardless of anything else, Hordley needs to be stopped. If you and Bolton both went to the police—"

"No."

Her flat refusal had having to clamp down on his frustration, frowning. "Rachel—"

"What the hell, Eddie?" She looked at him in disbelief. "You don't speak to me for days on end, and then this?"

Her exclamation had him falling silent in surprise. She stood up, scowled furiously at him. "You don't get to do this. You don't get to use me- and Bolton! - to try to cancel the contract because you don't like Hordley, when all the while you think the same of me as he does!"

"I don't—"

"Yes, you do! And that's fine, you're allowed to think whatever you want but you don't get to come in here and ask me to take a wrecking ball to my life when you do!"

Her words were shouted into a silence that hung between them, the noise and chatter of the students outside a million miles away. Eddie swallowed thickly. "You said yourself it's been twenty years," he said quietly. "No one will care, Rachel."

She looked at him disbelievingly. "What do you think will happen?" she demanded. "Hundreds of parents find out an ex-prostitute is running their kids' school- do you think they'll congratulate me?" She shook her head. "They'll be out for blood, and I wouldn't blame them. I can't go to the police or the LEA. I can't tell anyone!"

She saw the expression on his face change, saw him consider her words. He was trying to help, in his own way, even if it was misguided and uncalled for. She took a deep breath, blew it out slowly. "Apart from anything," she continued, more calmly. "I don't have a shred of proof. It would be my word against his, and I know who will be believed when it comes down to it."

Overhead, the bell rang, the five-minute warning before registration started. Rachel pressed her lips together. "Eddie, stay out of this. It's my mess."

"I want to help."

"Why?"

His brow furrowed. "Why?"

"You've made it quite clear what you think of me." And she couldn't hide the strain in her voice. "Why on earth would you now want to try to help now?"

He was already shaking his head. "You're wrong. Rachel, what I said… I want to help you. Is that really so hard to believe?"

Yes. She swallowed back what she wanted to say, and purposefully began to unpack her bag on her desk to hide her face from him. "You're going to be late for form."

"Rachel…"

"The kids will run riot if you're not there."

He sighed, but conceded her point and pushed to his feet. "This conversation isn't over."

Somehow, Rachel believed him.

Despite his promise, however, events of the day delayed the conversation longer than she imagined Eddie would have liked. It was nothing as dramatic as the previous day- a sixth former who wanted to leave took up Rachel's morning, while Eddie was covering last minute sickness. A group of year tens who thought it would be funny to flood the toilets then caused an hour of chaos, followed by not one but two fights. Finally, just when Rachel had hopes of reaching the end of the day without any more drama, social services called and demanded an immediate meeting.

Only the last few stragglers remained around the school as Eddie walked into Rachel's office to find her typing furiously on her laptop. He saw her jaw tighten when she looked up, and he held up his hands in surrender. "I'm not here to argue."

He saw her sigh, but she said nothing and he took that as permission to stay. The keyboard clacked for a few minutes longer, before the keys fell silent and he heard the quiet woosh that signified she'd sent the email she'd clearly been writing. The computer made a soft snap as it closed, but Rachel looked down at her lap rather than at him.

It was up to him, then. He came to sit in front of the desk, shifting his weight uncomfortably. "Look, Rachel, I need to say something."

He was watching her so carefully, and saw the way she took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders. Steeled herself. And only then allowed her gaze to flick up towards him, her expression distrustful and wary even as she tried to blank it and show nothing but mild curiosity. Guilt licked at his stomach. He had done that to her. And he wanted to fix it, wanted to find the right thing to say to soothe the wounds he'd caused so carelessly, to wipe away that expression that came into her eyes each time she dared to look at him.

But when he opened his mouth, he faltered.

There was a reason he was a maths teacher instead of a more word-based subject, and now his courage was failing him. Rachel's brow was furrowing as he closed and opened his mouth several times over, confusion and suspicion growing before he grimaced, and took a deep breath. "I shouldn't have… what I said," he blurted out awkwardly. "When you told me about… you know…" He drifted off, gesturing vaguely to her stomach and she could only look at him in bemusement. Damn it all. He sighed. "I was a prat, and I'm sorry."

It was the best he could manage in the circumstances. But he looked at her with serious eyes, and Rachel felt something in her soften. He looked so earnest, sheepish and contrite. Something inside her twinged. "For what it's worth, this really was as much as a surprise for me as it was for you."

He grimaced. "I should never have insinuated otherwise. I'm sorry, Rachel. Truly."

The knot that she hadn't even realised was in her chest eased somewhat at his words, an ache she had barely recognised existed, soothed. His apology was succinct and to the point which suited him perfectly and she'd already forgiven him, she realised with some surprise. "It's okay."

"No, it isn't."

She offered him something that was almost a smile, before looking down to her notepad, fiddling with the corner. "I meant what I said," she said quietly, avoiding his gaze. "You don't have to be involved, not in any way. I don't expect you to be."

"I don't want that."

She looked back to him, startled at his hasty interjection. "I want to be their dad," he explained quickly. "I want to know my child."

Of all the possible things, she hadn't been expecting that. "Eddie, nothing else has changed," she pointed out. "I'm still… who I am. Hordley still has the contract. All the reasons you were angry still exist, that hasn't gone away."

"I told you, I want to help you with Hordley. And your past doesn't matter to me."

Her lips twisted. "I don't believe that."

And he had no idea how to make her, he realised abruptly. "That pub we went to before," he said suddenly, "they do food as well."

She blinked at the non-sequitur.

"We need to talk, properly. Away from this place." He gestured with his hand. "Let me take you to dinner."

"Eddie…"

"I know for a fact you skipped lunch. That's not good for you or the baby."

It was that, more than anything that had her softening. "It's still early," she pointed out, and he looked amused.

"Are you telling me you're not hungry?"

She had to admit that she was, and that seemed agreement enough. He veered off to collect his belongings, and Rachel insisted on driving separately, grateful for the alone time to collect her thoughts, to process. Eddie wasn't going to drop the subject, she suspected, wouldn't tolerate Hordley keeping the contract. She just had no idea what to do about it.

The pub was just beginning to receive a trickle of customers who'd finished work, teachers and factory workers who finished before the office staff and alike did. There was no issue finding space in the car park, and when Rachel stepped out of her car Eddie was waiting for her, politely saying nothing about how long the journey had taken her. He held the door open for her as they entered, led her to the area of the pub that served food and deftly ensured they were sat away from the few other people already in there. The perfect gentlemen, Rachel thought sardonically, even as he handed her the menu.

It wasn't until they'd both ordered and had drinks sat in front of them that he even started a conversation deeper than the menu options. To her surprise, he'd ordered a coke to her sparkling water, and she had no idea if it was to sympathise with her lack of alcohol or because he wanted a clear head.

"You were right," he said abruptly, once the waitress was well out of earshot, and flushed when she raised an eyebrow at him. "I hadn't really thought it through," he admitted. "What it would mean for you to come clean. I know you can't. I'm sorry."

She swallowed. "That's two apologies in one day," she said, trying for light but given away by the roughness of her voice. "You're going to make a habit of it."

"Don't do that."

Her eyes snapped to his face.

"Don't make a joke and push it away because you don't think you deserve an apology."

Well then. "I don't," she said quietly, and it was his turn for his brow to furrow. "I caused this, all of it. Eddie, you have to understand that we're talking about a part of my life that I don't even like to think about. Having other people know, it's more than uncomfortable for me."

He leant forward. "Your past doesn't mean you deserve to be blackmailed and threatened."

But she shook her head. "Hordley wouldn't even have a foot in the door if it wasn't for me."

"Or if he wasn't completely lacking in morals or ethics."

A ghost of a smile whispered across her face, but Eddie had seen it, and counted it as a triumph. "Listen," he began, leaning forward slightly. "I know we can't go to the police. But this thing with Bolton… I think I have an idea."

"To what end?"

He shrugged. "At the very least, to keep him away from you. I don't think it'll persuade him to withdraw from the contract, but with a bit of luck, it'll stop him coming anywhere near you again."

She blamed the sudden lump in her throat on the pregnancy hormones. She reached for her water to hide her reaction, swallowing several times in an attempt to rid herself of it. "You really intend on trying to fix this, don't you?"

"Of course I do. But I'm going to need your help."

She took another sip, and nodded. "Tell me what you want me to do."

W.R.

It was dark by the time they left the pub, having lingered over dinner, then another drink each until Eddie had persuaded her to share a slice of chocolate cake with him. They'd spoken a little more of Hordley, Eddie outlining his idea in between bites of chicken and Rachel interjecting only to refine it.

By the time they were done with their food, however, both were tired of talking about the contractor, and the conversation moved on. Rachel told him about her scan and the appointment, and laughed as she described the little wiggly movements she'd seen on the ultrasound. Eddie, in turn, told her about the first scan with Stephen and Michael, when they'd found out they were having twins. He spoke about Alison's pregnancy, how she'd known as soon as it was physically possible to take a test and how morning sickness had forced her to take weeks off of work. He'd blinked afterwards in realisation, and looked at Rachel enquiringly.

She could only shrug. "No sickness so far. I must be one of the lucky ones."

"I'm guessing the tiredness isn't normal for you, though."

She laughed. "No, in hindsight that probably should have been a clue. I've never fallen asleep at school before."

"But other than, you're feeling okay?"

Rachel looked at him in surprise, scrambling to hide her reaction before he could take offense. "Yeah." It was as eloquent as she could manage at that moment, something very warm curling in her stomach. "Yeah, we're fine."

She didn't feel quite herself as she quickly looked away from him, reaching for her drink more as a way to hide rather than any real thirst. Against all her usual instincts, she believed him wholeheartedly. His apology, his desire to help her. It was a novel feeling.

"Eddie?" She began suddenly, placing her drink back on the table. "What you said before, about how could I not know I was pregnant…"

He winced. "Rachel, I really am sorry—"

"No, that's not what I meant." She shifted in her seat. "I don't want you to think that I… I'm not an idiot. Events just… got away from me."

Something in her voice had him up, and to his surprise her cheeks were bright pink, her gaze fixed firmly on a spot across the room. He tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

If possible, the colour in her face deepened. "You have to understand, I've been on birth control since I was in my teens," she blurted out, ignoring the way his eyes widened. "It was due to be replaced just before I came to Waterloo Road. Only they didn't have what I usually used so an alternative was suggested."

"And it didn't work?"

She shook her head, looking anywhere but him. "I reacted badly to the new one. A ridiculously tiny percentage of women who do, and I was one of them."

"Of course you were."

His joke brought a small smile to her face, and she risked a glance at him. "I had to have it taken out. And the nurse suggested that since I wasn't in a relationship and actively trying to prevent pregnancy, I take a break. Let my body recover before sticking something else in."

Suddenly, things were beginning to make a lot more sense. "Ah."

"Exactly." Her tone was bone dry. "Twenty years of not having to think about it clearly left their mark, so that night…"

"I didn't think of it either," he pointed out and she smiled faintly.

"The truth is, I was so caught up with Waterloo Road and Hordley and everything else, that I didn't even remember until I got the reminder for the appointment to have a new one."

"Rachel." He reached over, his hand landing on her wrist and ignoring the way she jumped and stiffened slightly. "What's happened has happened. There's no use worrying about it now."

"You say that so easily."

"You just worry too much," he teased, grinning at her and despite herself, she found herself smiling even as she rolled her eyes at him. Before promptly yawning.

It was the first of many yawns that prompted Eddie to call it a night. The sky overhead twinkled with the stars that were beginning to shine through the light pollution, the usual clouds absent and unmissed. The air was cool for the time of year though, biting into them as they walked across the car park. Rachel was hyperaware of how close Eddie walked, sure she could feel the warmth radiating from his body. He waited while she unlocked her but before she climbed in, she paused, and looked over at him.

"Eddie?"

He looked at her expectantly, hand shoved in his pocket. "No one has ever tried to fight for me like you are before," she said, only just loud enough for him to hear. "Even if you're only doing it because of the baby, I am grateful."

He frowned, stepped back towards her car with a shake of his head. "It's not because of the baby, Rach. I'd be doing it anyway. Hordley needs to be stopped, and you deserve to live without his threats hanging over you."

She smiled weakly, and he got the distinct impression that she didn't believe him. That was okay, he decided, waiting until she drove off before he slid into his own car. He'd just have to convince her.