Tom Clarkson was the first person to spot Eddie waiting in Reception. He couldn't quite believe his eyes. He'd resigned and moved elsewhere three years ago, never to be seen or heard from again. And now, here he was, back as if no time had passed! It was a relief really, if he was going to be the Deputy Head again. Chris Mead had been a great Deputy Head, but no one ever matched to the standards of Eddie Lawson. It was the same with any Head Teacher that had replaced Rachel. If the two of them were going to be working together again, he knew the school was in safe hands.

"You're a sight for sore eyes, Mr Lawson!" he greeted

Eddie's head shot up, relief flooding through him seeing the familiar face in front of him. All the staff he'd seen so far, even the Receptionist, were strangers to him. It was nice to see someone he knew.

"Hey, Tom" Eddie replied, shaking Tom's hand

"I take it you're the new Deputy Head? Or returning Deputy Head in your case?"

Eddie nodded.

"Yes. The LEA offered me the job and I just couldn't resist. Waterloo Road always has a way of pulling you back"

"Well, I'm glad you're back. Do you fancy a drink and a catch up at the pub later? Like old times?" Tom asked

"Absolutely, I look forward to it"

They were interrupted by the Receptionist sliding the glass panel open to inform Eddie he could make his way up to the Head Teacher's office.

"Right, well, I'll see you later, Tom"

Tom nodded, making his way back down the corridor. He was relieved that Eddie was back, but he couldn't help but think it was a bit odd. Tom wasn't entirely sure if Eddie knew that Rachel was Head Teacher again, if he did, he was sure Eddie would have been a lot more nervous about their reunion. He hadn't mentioned Rachel in their conversation, or that they'd be working together again. Maybe he was wrong, but if he was right and he didn't know, it was going to be a bit of a shock.

...

Eddie made his way up the stairs towards the Head Teacher's office. His nerves continued to increase with every step he took. What if he didn't get on with the new Head Teacher? What if she didn't like him? What if he wasn't cut out to do this job at this school again? He hadn't been a Deputy Head for two years. He was rusty, maybe more than he thought.

No, he could do this. What could possibly go wrong?

His made his way into the office, taking a deep breath as he knocked on the Head Teacher's door. The voice on the other side telling him to come in sounded incredibly familiar, almost like Rachel. He shook the idea off immediately. This wasn't Rachel's office anymore.

When the door opened and his eyes fell on the woman sat at the desk, typing on her computer, his breath hitched in his throat. He blinked twice to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. But she was there, clear as day. Rachel Mason, sat in her office chair like it was any other day at Waterloo Road. His heart skipped a beat.

He wanted to speak, to cough or announce himself in some way, but he found himself frozen, unable to take his eyes off her.

"I'll be with you in just a moment" she told him, eyes glued to the computer screen

Just the sound of her voice made him feel giddy and gave him the proof that he wasn't dreaming. She was really here, after three years apart. He thought he'd never see her again after that last day of term. But here she was, clear as day. He couldn't quite believe his luck.

As she typed away, she could feel the gaze of the man in the doorway burning into her. She wasn't sure she'd ever been stared at so intensely by a stranger before. It was only giving her the ammunition to ignore him. It irritated her the way he was casually stood in the doorway, she could see him out of the corner of her eye. It made no sense, but he felt familiar to her in some way. There was something about him that she could sense without even having to look at him.

It was when the baby growing inside of her gave a sharp kick to her ribcage that she finally looked up and acknowledged the presence of her new Deputy. When her eyes focused on his features, she froze, a lump forming in her throat. Suddenly the odd sense of familiarity made sense. This man had, once, been the love of her life. Maybe he still was, she didn't know, but one time he had been her everything, until it had all gone wrong. This man was no stranger. He was Eddie Lawson.

She wasn't sure whether to hug him or to tell him to leave. Her mouth opened to speak, but no sound came out. What was he doing here after all this time? Why was he here?

She refused to believe Eddie was the new Deputy Head. He couldn't be, it was too much of a coincidence. An ironic, awkward and cruel coincidence set up by the LEA. He had to be here for another reason. There was a reasonable explanation as to why he was stood in her office, she didn't know what exactly, but there had to be one.

"Long time, no see, Rach" Eddie greeted, awkwardly shoving his hands into the pockets of his trousers

The sound of her name dancing off his tongue sent a shiver up her spine in the same way it had done three years ago. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at the sight of him.

Now wasn't the time for him to be here, he needed to know that. Somewhere, downstairs, was the new Deputy Head. She needed to settle them in. She couldn't do that with Eddie here. He was at the bottom of her priority list currently.

"Eddie? Hi- uhm... what are you doing here?" she stammered

"I,"

"Look, I'm sorry; can you wait in Reception for me for a few minutes? I've got a new Deputy Head joining me today, he's due here any second" she rushed, cutting him off before he could even reply

Eddie laughed, causing her to frown.

"Rach, I'm the new Deputy Head" he explained

Rachel stared at him, in shock. He was joking, surely? He had to be. Eddie Lawson couldn't be the new Deputy Head, she would have been informed. Why hadn't the LEA said anything to her? Three years she hadn't seen or heard from Eddie, and now, the minute she had returned to Waterloo Road, here he was, in her office, as though nothing had changed. That wasn't true of course, everything had changed.

This couldn't be happening, could it?

"I... I don't... understand" she stuttered

Eddie watched as she began to curl into herself, something she did when she was uncomfortable. When he saw the panic flashing through her deep brown eyes, he knew that this wasn't going to work. Had he known Rachel was going to be the Head Teacher again, he wouldn't have accepted the job. He knew how it looked, him just turning up out of the blue as the Deputy Head. It was sort of like he was stalking her. But he'd had no idea it was Rachel Mason he would be working with again.

"Rach, look, if you want me to go, I will. I think there's been a bit of confusion. I had no idea you were the new Head Teacher. I was told the new Head Teacher's name was Rachel Fleet, it hadn't even crossed my mind that it was you. I'll go and talk to the LEA and see if they can find a replacement" he reasoned, turning to leave

Whilst it was a shock, Rachel didn't want him to go. The thought of working with Eddie again, being in his presence made her feel at ease. Professionally, in the past, they had worked together really well. Eddie was a great teacher and Deputy Head and she knew that when she went on maternity leave, the school would be in safe hands. It meant that she didn't have to go through the draining and gruelling process of getting to know her new colleague and having to show him the ropes. She already knew Eddie inside out and could read him like a book. He knew the way she ran the school and could keep the standards up in her absence. They could work together in a professional manner, couldn't they?

"Eddie, wait!" she called, chasing after him

He turned around again to face her.

"Eddie, I'm sorry. It was just a shock, that's all. The LEA didn't tell me you were going to be the new Deputy Head" she explained

"They didn't tell me you were the new Head Teacher. I thought it was odd that her name was Rachel, but I brushed it off because it was a different surname" he shrugged

"Rachel Fleet is my married name" she told him

Married. The word was like a knife to the heart for Eddie.

Rachel was married.

He was happy for her, of course he was. All he'd ever wanted was for her to find happiness, even if it wasn't with him. He had hurt her time and again, mostly without meaning to. Even though he'd loved and still did love her, he didn't deserve her. He hoped she'd found someone who did deserve her.

He smiled at her, even though it was physically painful.

"Come and sit down, let's have a chat" Rachel suggested

Eddie nodded, following her back into the office. They chose to sit opposite each other at the table rather than on the sofa. It was important to keep things professional.

"It's good to see you" she said, breaking the silence

"It's great to see you too, Rach. You look good" he complimented

She really did look fantastic. Her skin had a glow to it that he hadn't seen before, her eyes were sparkling. She looked happy.

"Thanks" she smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear

"And congratulations on the marriage. I'm happy for you, Rach. Whoever he is, he's a lucky man"

Rachel's smile faded at that. Of course she had been the one to mention she was married, but she hadn't exactly expected Eddie to carry on the conversation. She knew he meant what he said about him being happy for her, she just wished she could tell him how unhappy she really was and that it was all a façade. If he asked her anymore questions about Adam, she feared she wouldn't be able to stop herself from telling him how unsafe she felt or showing him the bruises her so-called 'loving' husband had given her. With Steph and Kim, she had some self-control, but not with Eddie. He could read her like a book.

Eddie watched as the sparkle in her eyes died out, her face draining of its colour. For a moment, he thought she was going to burst into tears.

"Have I said something wrong?" he asked, panicked

She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with him. If she did, the tears would come and she wouldn't be able to stop them. And then he would ask questions that she didn't want to give him the answers to. Eddie couldn't save her from what she was going through.

She needed to change the subject to something that was a little safer. She couldn't bring herself to ask about his Son or Daughter, her Niece or Nephew. The thought of Eddie and Melissa playing happy families still made her feel sick. That was another conversation topic out of the window.

"Rach? Are you ok?" Eddie prompted gently

His question caused her to snap out of whatever daze she had just been in. She sat up straight in her chair, the colour returning to her cheeks. Her lips curved upwards into a smile. He knew it wasn't genuine by the way the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just... how have you been? It's been a long time" she replied

Eddie was a little confused by the abrupt change in conversation, but he went along with it. Maybe she didn't feel comfortable talking to her ex about her new husband. That was a perfectly reasonable explanation.

"I'm fine, thanks. I'm ready to get stuck in! I've missed being a Deputy Head" he answered

"Well- uhm- I don't know if the LEA informed you or not, but... you won't be the Deputy Head for long"

Eddie frowned for a moment, wondering what she meant.

And then he remembered.

He would be the temporary Head Teacher of Waterloo Road. The LEA had told him the Head Teacher was going on maternity leave.

Eddie looked up at Rachel again, examining her carefully. His eyes landed on her swollen stomach, partially concealed by the table between them.

"A lot has changed, as you can see" she said with a small laugh, placing a hand on top of her stomach

Eddie laughed lightly.

"Wow, Rach. Congratulations!" he added, taken aback by the revelation

Her face lit up with a genuine and radiant smile, the sparkle returning to her deep brown eyes.

"I'm really happy for you, Rach! You must be so excited!" he exclaimed

"I am. I can't wait" she smiled

"And your husband?"

He watched as her smile unintentionally dropped again.

"Yeah, he's... happy... about it too" she answered eventually

Eddie nodded quietly.

A knock on the door caused both of them to jump. Rachel turned around, freezing in her chair when she saw Adam stood in the doorway, staring at her. She wanted to shut the door on him, to tell him that she was busy and to come back another time. She knew that wouldn't work on him though. That action would have consequences when she arrived home tonight. And besides, he wouldn't budge from anywhere unless he wanted to.

She stood up slowly. If it was just the two of them alone with no one else around, he'd be glaring at her. Instead, a false and sickening smile was slapped on his face. He was going to play the charming, calm and kind 'gentleman' he made everyone believe he was, even Rachel at first had fallen for it. Behind closed doors, he was a very different man.

"Adam? I thought you'd gone to work your shift at the restaurant?" she questioned

"Can't a man come and check on his wife on her first day in a new job?" he replied, shrugging innocently

Rachel wanted to roll her eyes. He'd come to check on her alright, but it wasn't out of concern. He was spying on her, wanting to watch her every move. Instead, she smiled weakly at him in an attempt to go along with his charade. The last thing she wanted was for him to cause a scene.

Eddie watched the two of them carefully. He didn't miss the way Rachel flinched and tensed up when this 'Adam' placed a kiss on her cheek. Of course the cause of her sudden change in demeanour could have been due to Rachel's pet peeve of public displays of affection, but he felt there was more to it than that. When they were dating a few years ago, Eddie knew she didn't like holding hands or being kissed in public, but when he did do it on the odd occasion, she never flinched or tensed at the contact. That was the main difference here.

"Who is this?" Adam asked, looking Eddie up and down

"Oh, he's,"

Before Rachel could finish making introductions, Eddie stepped forward.

"Eddie Lawson, Deputy Head" he greeted, offering his hand for the man to shake

Rachel was the only one who saw the anger flash through Adam's cold, black eyes.

"Eddie Lawson? As in the Eddie Lawson that used to work here?" Adam checked

"The very same" Eddie nodded

"Wow, what a coincidence that you're both back here working together at the same time!" Adam replied with another false smile

"Yes, neither of us had any idea" Eddie answered

"Is that right?" Adam mumbled thoughtfully

Rachel could feel Adam's gaze burning into her, subtly accusing her of something that she hadn't done. It wouldn't matter if she tried to explain to him that she didn't know this was going to happen. She could provide him with all the evidence in the world and it still wouldn't be enough. She knew she would be paying for this later when they were both at home and away from everyone.

Eddie could feel the tension hanging in the air between them. He immediately felt the need to protect Rachel and he wasn't sure why. He wanted to believe he was biased or jealous, but Adam wasn't giving him the best first impression.

"Rachel was just telling me about the baby, congratulations" he added, changing the subject

"Thanks" Adam mumbled

"You must be really excited"

"Yes, very" Adam answered, his tone dripping with sarcasm and disapproval

"Adam, you're going to be late for your shift" Rachel cut in

Adam glanced at his watch, realising that she was correct.

"Right, well, I'll be off then" he decided

"Nice to meet you, Eddie" he added, shaking his hand again

"You too" Eddie replied

He watched as Rachel tensed again as Adam kissed her, immediately relaxing when he moved away from her.

"I'll see myself out" he told them

When she was sure he was gone, she breathed a silent sigh of relief. She knew his wrath would be waiting for her when she got home, but she didn't care. It was better than him causing a scene at work in front of Eddie, or Eddie intervening in an attempt to protect her.

"So, that is your husband?" Eddie said, breaking the silence

"Yes, that's Adam" she nodded

"How does he feel about the baby? He didn't seem so sure about it just then" Eddie pointed out

"He's just a bit... disappointed. He wanted a boy, but we're having a girl" she explained with a light laugh

'Disappointed' was an understatement of how Adam felt towards the gender of the baby. He was furious, and he hadn't refrained from letting Rachel know about it. If he had been overjoyed by the news that they were having a girl, she was sure he wouldn't have hit over the head multiple times with a vase until it smashed and she was unconscious and bleeding on the kitchen floor after the twenty week scan.

"I'm sure he'll come round to the idea eventually" Eddie said in an attempt to reassure her

Rachel nodded quietly, unconvinced.

"Are you ok?" Eddie added, watching her closely

"I'm fine" she replied

Eddie was unsure. He didn't like the way her face had paled, or the presence of sadness in her deep brown eyes. There was something going on that she didn't want to tell him. He knew not to push her, but he couldn't help but be concerned. Since Adam had come and gone, she had seemed on edge. She had acted in the opposite way that a wife would greet their husband, tensing at his touch rather than wrapping her arms around him. Why?

"Are you sure?" he checked

"Yes" she nodded

"Come on, we need to make a start. We've got a busy first day ahead of us! Starting with assembly" she added, standing up

It was when she stood up that Eddie got a full view of her baby bump. He couldn't help but smile. Rachel suited pregnancy so well. She looked beautiful.

She felt his gaze burning into the back of her head as they made their way down the corridor. She was glad she had her back to him. He was making her blush. It didn't help either that her little girl was kicking away in her stomach, almost in approval that she had been reunited with Eddie.