Forty-five minutes later...

After Kim's departure from her office, Rachel had deliberately thrown herself into completing her paperwork. She needed something to distract her from thinking about Philip's earlier actions. She was still angry, but embarrassment had now started to creep in. Her own Nephew had sexually assaulted another woman. What sort of Auntie and legal guardian did that make her?

Had she and Eddie done something, or said something to make him behave like this? Where had they gone wrong?

She was waiting for an update from Eddie before she stepped in. He was teaching at the minute, but she knew he had a free next lesson, so she hoped that he would be making his way to her office as soon as he could. She knew she couldn't stay out of it for long, but to avoid bad memories from resurfacing, she was trying to hold it off as long as possible. All she could say was that she was grateful that she had her second counselling session tomorrow. By the way today was going, she would need it.

A whimper coming from the play-mat on the floor pulled her away from her paperwork. Rachel smiled at Grace, who had managed to sit herself up. Grace smiled back at her, her pacifier popping out of her mouth as she stared at Rachel curiously with her big, brown eyes.

It had been forty-five minutes since Kim had dropped Grace off in Rachel's office. The little girl had been good as gold, playing quietly with the toys Kim had left on her play-mat. She hadn't cried when Kim had left, which was a relief. Rachel wanted practice looking after a baby, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to soothe one that was crying just yet.

Rachel had thought about taking her back to the crèche at the beginning of the next and final lesson of the day (in fifteen minutes time), but she didn't really want or see the need to. Grace seemed comfortable and wasn't causing any trouble. Rachel was enjoying the company as well.

As she turned her focus back to her paperwork, she felt a hand pressing on her shoe. She frowned, unable to stop herself from laughing when she looked down and saw Grace smiling cheekily up at her.

"And what are you doing, young lady?"

Grace squealed as Rachel lifted her onto her lap.

"Are you bored?" Rachel asked her

Grace offered her a toothless smile, her tiny fingers reaching up to play with Rachel's hair.

"Let's play with one of your toys, hey?" she decided, leaning over to pick up the pink teething rattle that was resting on the animal themed play mat

She shifted in her chair, showing Grace the rattle and shaking it for her. Grace watched on in awe, intrigued by the sound the rattle made.

"Do you like that? Hm?"

Grace nodded, placing the rattle into her mouth. Rachel smiled down at her as she cuddled further into her. She could tell she was getting tired.

"Your Mummy will be back soon. Only an hour to go" Rachel told her

Grace stared at her sleepily, eyes drifting closed. That was when Rachel realised that her plan to finish her paperwork wasn't going to work out after all.

...

Eddie closed his classroom door as the last few students filtered out of his classroom toward their next lessons. He wanted to say that he was feeling calmer than he was an hour ago, but he wasn't. For a few reasons.

All had been fine until midway through his lesson when he'd spotted Chlo Grainger wandering down the corridor. Chlo was in Sixth Form, yes. The students in Year Twelve and Thirteen had free lessons, meaning it was common to see them walking down the corridors during lesson time. But Chlo was supposed to be fifteen minutes into her Hairdressing NVQ exam.

When he had stepped out of his classroom to question her, she'd confidently told him that she had walked out of the exam. Even though he'd tried to persuade her, she refused to go back. Her decision was final and there didn't seem to be a way of changing her mind, to Eddie's frustration.

He knew exactly who was behind Chlo making such a rash and foolish decision. Kim Campbell. He had seen her talking to Chlo this morning. She hadn't looked impressed by the fact that Chlo was pregnant and doing an NVQ instead of her A-levels. There was no doubt in his mind that Kim had influenced Chlo's decision. She now didn't have many options for when she left school. She'd leave with her GCSE's, but no further qualifications. Any hopes of going to University or getting a decent job would be scrapped. That was bad enough for any kid, but one with a baby on the way? Disaster.

Kim had, once again, caused a mess, and he and Rachel would be the ones that had to clean it up.

The second reason he was angry, was because of Bolton and Paul.

Over the hour they had spent in his lesson, Eddie had started to think that maybe Philip was telling the truth about being pushed. And if he had been pushed into Sarah-Leanne, he knew exactly who the culprits were. The thought only added to his bad mood.

Bolton was (usually) a good kid. But, like any other teenager, he would do anything for a laugh.

On Philip's first day at Waterloo Road, Bolton and Paul had tied him to a toilet. He wouldn't put it past Bolton to have been the one to have pushed Philip into Sarah-Leanne 'for a laugh'.

The evidence that Bolton had done it was there. Eddie had watched the way Bolton and Paul were whispering to one another in class, sniggering and making jokes about Philip. Eddie had been far from impressed and was sure his suspicions were correct. It wasn't in Philip's nature to do something like this. It was definitely in Bolton's and Paul's. They had used one boy's longing to fit in to their advantage.

Whatever his suspicions were, he had to talk to Rachel first. He didn't really want to involve her as it was quite a sensitive subject for her. But Philip was her Nephew and, as his legal guardian, she had a right to be involved.

He stood up, making his way down the corridor towards her office. The sight that met him when he arrived made him smile.

Rachel was holding a sleeping Grace in her arms as she typed one handed on her computer. She smiled at him when he walked in.

"Check you, multi-tasking!" he teased

Rachel laughed.

"Why isn't she in the crèche?" he asked

"She wasn't settling and Kim was worrying. I said I'd have her with me for a bit" she explained

"So now you're a babysitter for the Head of Pastoral Care?" he huffed

"Eddie" Rachel warned, shooting him a glare

"Rach, come on! If she's constantly worrying about Grace, she isn't going to be able to do her job properly, meaning that she will make mistakes!" he argued

"She hasn't given me that impression, Eddie. She led the careers event well this morning. All the kids and staff are happy she's back. She's doing well. No disasters have happened" she reasoned

Eddie scoffed.

"What about Philip and Sarah-Leanne, Rach? That wouldn't have happened if Kim had been supervising!"

Rachel went silent.

"And I would call Chlo Grainger walking out of her NVQ exam a pretty big disaster too!" he added

"What does that have to do with Kim?" she questioned

"She was talking to Chlo this morning. Her reaction to her being pregnant and doing an NVQ instead of A-levels was extremely negative and judgmental. Chlo walked out of her exam because of something Kim had said to her this morning. So now, Chlo has very little options for when she leaves school"

"Well, to be honest, I don't think Chlo was that interested in hairdressing anyway. I think she picked it because it was something relatively easy and that would bring money in when she left school" Rachel admitted with a shrug

"Well, now, because of Kim, she walked away from the only qualification the school can give her!" he shot back

"Eddie, stop panicking, ok? She has her GCSE's, she does have qualifications. We can fix it. Chlo can still do her A-levels if she wants to. She'd already done a year before she switched to an NVQ in September. She can catch up easily with the right support. We can talk to Tom and Kim and come up with some ideas. It's only January, we've got time" she reasoned

"And what about Kim?" he questioned

"I'll talk to her" she reassured

Eddie rolled his eyes.

"She can do no wrong in your eyes, can she?" he grumbled

Rachel shot him a glare.

"It isn't that and you know it, Eddie. I'm just giving her a chance, which is a lot more than what you're doing!" she snapped

Eddie sighed.

"We're going to have to agree to disagree on this, aren't we?"

"We wouldn't have to if you would just stop being so immature!" she huffed

"I'm not being immature, Rach! I'm being realistic! There's a difference!" he shot back

Rachel sighed. She was sick of repeating herself. She was too tired for this, but she also didn't want to take this argument home.

"Eddie, all I'm asking is that you give her a chance. Put your scepticism to one side and just let her do her job, yeah?"

Eddie sighed.

"I'm really not asking for much, Eddie. Just a little co-operation" she added

"Fine. But we need to sort Chlo out" he replied

"We will. I'll speak to Kim and we'll sort it" she promised

Eddie nodded.

There was silence for a few moments. Eddie couldn't stop himself from smiling as he watched Rachel rock Grace gently. There was a sparkle in her eye as she smiled at the sleeping girl.

"It suits you" he said

She shot him a puzzled look.

"What does?"

"You... holding a baby" he answered, nodding to Grace

Rachel smiled, looking down at Grace in the hopes that Eddie wouldn't see her blushing.

Even though Grace wasn't hers, looking after her had come so easily to her and she was enjoying it so much. If anything, the little girl resting in her arms was confirmation that she wanted to be a Mother. She couldn't wait till their little one arrived.

"I should probably take her back to the crèche. But she seems so comfortable" she sighed

"You mean, YOU are so comfortable and don't want to take her back?" Eddie corrected

Rachel nodded with a giggle.

"She'll just have to stay with you for a bit then" he shrugged

Rachel smiled.

"What's happening with Philip?" she asked after a few minutes

"He's still in the cooler" Eddie told her

"Is he still adamant that he didn't do it?"

"Yes"

Rachel sighed.

"I was hoping he'd just come clean so we could get on with his punishment. It wouldn't stop me from feeling angry and disgusted, but it would be something"

"He can't confess to something he didn't do, Rach"

Rachel rolled her eyes.

"You can't say he didn't do it, Eddie! People saw it happen!" she huffed

"I know, but that doesn't mean to say he did it on purpose" he argued

Rachel glared at him, letting him know he was on dangerous territory. No one sexually assaulted someone 'by accident', ever. Such a vile act was always done with intent and malice. She knew from being on the receiving end of it.

It wasn't in Philip's nature to do something like this, or so she'd thought. She was beginning to wonder how well she really knew Philip.

"Rach, I really do believe he was pushed" Eddie reasoned

Rachel scoffed.

"He told you that, did he?"

"Yes! And, to be honest, I didn't believe him at first either. Trust me, Rach, I gave him a stern talking to, yelling and all sorts and he was still adamant that he hadn't done it. It was when I observed Paul and Bolton's behaviour in my class that I started to believe he was telling the truth" he explained

Rachel shot him a puzzled look, urging him to continue.

"Philip told me in the cooler that he was pushed. He felt two hands pressing on his upper back seconds before. At break, he'd been showing off to Bolton, trying to fit in. Bolton suggested that he should ask Sarah-Leanne out if he liked her that much. He told me Paul and Bolton were egging him on, basically calling him a wuss if he didn't do it. So he went up to her with the intention to ask her out and... Something else happened instead"

"Clearly" she mumbled

"Rach,"

"So, what does this have to do with Bolton and Paul's behaviour in your class?" she questioned, cutting him off

"They were making jokes about Philip" he told her

Rachel sighed. Was he really using that as his evidence that Philip was innocent?

"Eddie, the whole school is probably doing that right now!"

"No, Rach, this was different. I genuinely think that Philip was pushed and that Paul and Bolton were the culprits!"

Rachel still wasn't convinced.

"Rach, think about it. Would Philip really do what he's being accused of?" Eddie questioned

Rachel sighed in frustration.

"That's just it, Eddie, I don't know! I thought I knew him, but he's gone and done this and I... I can't"

She couldn't control the emotions that were bubbling inside her, just like she couldn't control the tears brewing in her eyes. Before she knew it, she burst into tears.

Eddie carefully removed Grace from Rachel's arms, laying her down on the sofa. Once he was sure she was comfortable, he headed back over to Rachel, who had her head buried in her hands as she sniffled. She blamed her hormones for such an outrageous reaction to the situation.

"Come here, darling" Eddie whispered, standing her up and pulling her into a hug

She crumpled into his embrace, her tears staining his blazer. She was angry at Philip for doing this (if he had done it). She was angry at herself for letting his behaviour escalate like this. It had to be something she or Eddie had said or done that made him think it was ok to do what he did.

She was angry at Melissa for abandoning Philip and leaving him in her care. Even though Rachel worked with teenagers on a daily basis, having one at home was completely different, especially when you hadn't known them very long.

Even though she had gotten used to Philip being in her home, Rachel still felt completely out of her depth. Had she and Eddie done the right thing taking him on? That was a question she had asked herself less and less over the last couple of months. Now she was questioning it again.

Eddie pulled apart from her, wiping her tears with his thumb.

"Rach, I really don't think Philip did this"

"How can you possibly know that, Eddie?" she questioned

"I don't, but I know Philip. He knows what Stuart did to you. Knowing that, I don't think he would ever want to do something like that to another woman" he reasoned

Rachel wanted to agree with him, she really did. He did have a point. But she couldn't. The evidence he'd done it was staring them in the face. Philip was adamant that he had been pushed. But with nothing to back up his claim, it was difficult to believe. She was battling being an Auntie and Head Teacher at the same time. There was a lot of pressure on her to do the right thing and she didn't know what that was.

If she didn't punish Philip and he had done it, there would be uproar. But if she did punish him and it turned out he had been pushed, she would also be in the wrong and would hurt Philip. She didn't know what to do for the best.

Eddie tilted her chin with his hand, pulling her from her thoughts. She gazed into his soft brown eyes. A feeling of temporary calm washed over her.

"We'll sort this, ok?" he promised

Rachel nodded.

"I'm sorry. It's just... too close to home" she mumbled

"I know, Rach, I know. Do you want me to deal with it?" he offered

Rachel shook her head.

"No, I want to get to the truth"

Eddie nodded.

"You stay here and I'll go and get Philip, ok?" he suggested

"Ok" she agreed

Eddie smiled at her, squeezing her hand reassuringly before leaving.

...

Instead of getting Philip from the cooler, Eddie pulled a confused Bolton out of his English classroom. They made their way up to Rachel's office in silence. Eddie was too angry to look at him, let alone to make small talk.

There was a chance that Philip was lying about being pushed. But Eddie was 99% certain that he was telling the truth. Bolton was in a whole world of trouble if that was the case.

Bolton swallowed the lump in his throat as he stepped into the Head Teacher's office. Miss Mason eyed him wearily, instructing him to take a seat as Eddie closed the door.

Rachel cleared her throat. There was no point beating around the bush.

"Bolton, did you push Philip into Sarah-Leanne?"

"No way, man!" Bolton scoffed

"We seem to think otherwise" Eddie cut in

"Well, you're wrong! I never touched him!" Bolton shot back defensively

"Philip told us you and Paul were teasing him and egging him on, pestering him to ask her out, calling him a wuss if he didn't" Rachel argued

"Yeah, that was just a joke! No one pushed him!"

"The hands Philip felt on his back seconds before it happened says different" Eddie pointed out

"Yeah, well, it weren't me" Bolton grumbled

Bolton would have been a more convincing liar if his eyes weren't darting frantically around the room.

Miss Mason shot him a glare and he knew he was for it. She wasn't stupid.

"Bolton, you do realise that if Sarah-Leanne decides to press charges, Philip is going to be in a lot of trouble? There won't be anything I or Mr Lawson can do to help him. So, I'll ask you again, did you push him?"

Bolton sighed. He'd been hoping he could lie his way out of it. But the thought of Philip potentially getting into a lot of trouble was weighing on his conscience. He had only done it for a joke, he hadn't meant for it to go this far.

"Ok, yeah, I pushed him" he admitted

Rachel and Eddie felt an immediate sense of relief wash over them. For Rachel, it was quickly replaced with anger.

"Bolton, why? Why would you do that?" she questioned

"It was just a laugh, Miss" he shrugged

"That 'laugh' has got Philip into a lot of trouble and has left Sarah-Leanne traumatised! Did you not think about how that sort of behaviour impacts a woman?" she ranted

"Sorry, Miss" he mumbled

" 'Sorry' isn't good enough, Bolton! I'm really disappointed in you! I had thought you would be a good influence on Philip. But I guess I was wrong" Rachel retorted

Bolton's gaze dropped to the floor, guilt coursing through him.

Rachel sighed.

"Here's what's going to happen, Bolton. You're going to apologise to Philip and Sarah-Leanne. And then, you're going to spend every break and lunch for the next two weeks in the cooler" she added

Bolton nodded.

"Go to the cooler with Mr Lawson now and apologise to Philip" she instructed

Bolton complied, following Mr Lawson out of the office.

Rachel sank back into her chair, shaking her head in disbelief. The first day back had been chaos. She had been naive to think it would be any different. This was Waterloo Road after all.

She looked over at Grace. She was still fast asleep on the sofa, her breathing soft and gentle. She was completely oblivious to the chaos. Rachel wished she was too.