(A/N): Okay, so I really did not plan on updating anything, until I realised that it wasn't really fair to you guys, who have been waiting so patiently for me. So, whilst I may not be putting up new stories, my resolution as far as fanfiction goes is that I will endeavour to finish as many fics as I can. So, here is your new chapter, and I am so thankful to everyone who has stuck with me for so long. Love you all.

HeavenSkye x

What the Heart Wants

Chapter 9

That Monday morning, Rachel found herself stirring her cup of coffee once again, though this time she had a wide smile that she couldn't shift from her face no matter how hard she tried. She'd spent most of the weekend with her dad, her daughter and her little sister and had had more fun than she'd thought possible under the circumstances. Philip had been forced to stay with his mother all weekend, without a single chance to sneak off to see his aunt and cousin, though he'd managed to text Alia a couple of times in regards to the vague plan she'd told him of. Alia had taken a couple of hours out of Sunday to see Jack and they'd gone to see an action movie that had left them both on adrenaline highs when Alia returned home that day, much to Rachel's amusement.

"Rach, is it okay if Jack comes round Tuesday instead of Wednesday?" Alia asked as she skidded into the kitchen, wearing her uniform without shoes, allowing her socks to provide enough slip to slide into the room.

"Jack's allowed round whenever you want within reason; you know that Ali." Rachel frowned, taking a sip of her coffee. Alia nodded, making herself a cup of coffee and perching herself on the counter opposite her mother.

"Yeah, I know, but it's polite to ask."

"You saw him yesterday. What's changed?"

"He still wants to help with the Eddie and Mel thing but we figured that a longer trip would be better if we come under suspicion." Alia shrugged.

"Sometimes, your knowledge of all this concerns me."

"Me too, but it's not like I can forget it now." Alia shrugged again. "Come on. Haven't you got a meeting or something?"

"I'm supposed to, but Eddie's got his son for the next week and he has to get him to school, so I swapped it to a lunch meeting." Rachel smiled, remembering her interactions with the small boy, who would be about five years old if her calculations were correct, in reception at the local primary school fifteen minutes from Waterloo Road.

"He's got a son?"

"Yeah, Michael."

Alia watched her carefully for a few moments before deciding not to say anything about the expression Rachel sported, one that told her that she already cared a lot about the little boy, and probably didn't consider Eddie anything less than a package deal with his son. She jumped off the counter, almost slipping when her sock-clad feet made contact with the floor. "Right, well, I need to go grab my boots and my blazer and text Jack back. You gonna be ready by the time I get down here again?"

"Yeah… No breakfast today?"

"I'll grab some at school." Alia rolled her eyes at Rachel's disbelieving look. "I swear I will, okay?"

"Fine, but I will be checking."

"I'd expect nothing less."

…

Rachel stood at her office window at break, looking down onto the playground with a soft smile playing at her lips as she saw Alia talking to three of the sixth form girls, including Chlo, who seemed to becoming fast friends with the younger girl. Rachel shrugged to herself. Alia could do a lot worse, friend wise, after all, she thought, considering all the kids that attended the school.

A knock on the door made her jump and turn from the window as Eddie walked in almost hesitantly. Rachel resisted the urge to sigh deeply. Ever since he had started dating Mel, Eddie no longer just waltzed into her office without knocking as he used to, and Rachel could easily confess to herself, if no-one else, that she missed it. She also missed the simple comradery that had existed between them, and wanted him back, even if she knew it was wrong to think of it that way. He hadn't really left, after all.

"Rachel, are you okay?" Eddie asked, hovering in the doorway almost awkwardly. Rachel frowned at the question, moving to sit on the couch under the window.

"I'm fine, Eddie. What can I do for you?"

"Uh, I just wondered if you'd cover my third period lesson. It's year 11, top set, and they have work to be getting on with. The details are all on my desk. I wouldn't ask, you know that, but I just got a call from Michael's primary school, and I've got to go pick him up." Eddie looked genuinely worried as Rachel stood up and nodded.

"Yeah, of course, Eddie. You go; I'll cover for as long as you need me to. Go to Michael." Rachel told him earnestly. Eddie smiled his gratitude, reaching out and squeezing Rachel's arm.

"Thanks Rach, I owe you one. I'll see you soon, hopefully." He let go of her arm and rushed out of her office as quickly as he'd appeared. Rachel let out a long breath, her eyes involuntarily moving to the bookcase near her desk, the copy of Crime and Punishment immediately catching her eyes, the present seeming so very long ago. Rachel jumped as the bell rang before grabbing her jacket and phone before walking out of her office and to the maths classroom. She had a class to teach.

…

Alia walked into the maths classroom with two other girls, after Chlo left them, as she was going to the library to complete a French essay, only to stop dead in her tracks when she saw Rachel stood at the front instead of Eddie, whom she'd been expecting. She'd gotten on fairly well with the math teacher since she'd been kept behind in his class, and to find her mum suddenly there in his place was more than a little disconcerting.

She barely reacted aloud however, instead choosing to shoot Rachel a quick look telling the older woman that they'd be talking about it later before taking her seat, still talking to one of the girls she'd walked in with. No-one else seemed to notice the tension between headmistress and student. Rachel let out a long breath before putting up the website Eddie had written down for the starter activity.

"Alright, settle down. I'm covering Mr Lawson's class today and we'll be following your set lesson. Algebra. Who can factorise these quadratic equations?"

…

After the hour lesson had finished, Alia spent a long time clearing up her things, until she was the only person left in the class other than Rachel herself. "Rach, I didn't expect you here." Alia confessed with a blush. Rachel smiled with a shake of her head.

"I had to cover for Eddie at the last minute, otherwise I would've found another teacher to cover, Ali." Rachel glanced at her, a hint of concern in her eyes. "How are you doing so far, Ali?"

"Alright, I guess. I was a bit bored, but that's only cause I've already gone further on my own. I'm sure they'll teach me something sooner or later." Alia looked at her timetable. "I've got English now, and French last, with Mr Clarkson and Ms Haydock. Have you seen Fiona today at all?"

Rachel led Alia out of the classroom before sighing. "No, and I don't want to. As much as I want her to be… nicer, I don't really want to bring Mollie into this unless I have to."

"I guess that makes sense. Well, I've got to run, so I'll see you later." Alia smiled slightly, running off down the corridor before Rachel could tell her off for it. Rachel let another smile grace her features before turning around and moving back to her office, knowing she didn't need to cover for Eddie that lesson, as he had an hour of non-contact time before lunching, supposed to be spent marking and making lesson plans.

Walking into the outer office, she saw Bridget smiling up at her. "Miss Mason, Mr Lawson's back with his son." Bridget informed her before gesturing to Rachel's office. "They're in there."

Rachel nodded and mentally steeled herself before opening the door and stepping into the office, where Eddie sat on the couch with a pale looking Michael next to him. "Rach, how were the year 11s?"

"Good." Rachel responded, sitting on the other side of the little boy, who looked up to the woman with a watery smile, recognising her vaguely from the only other time he'd been at the school. "What's up, Michael?"

"Feel sicky." Michael whispered, causing Rachel to wince in sympathy and Eddie to silently marvel at his usually withdrawn son so at ease with Rachel that he spoke without glancing at Eddie first to make sure it was okay to talk to her.

"Well, that's horrible isn't it?" Rachel asked rhetorically, ruffling Michael's hair sympathetically, not thinking too much about the gesture as Michael managed to send her another smile.

"I'm tired." He whispered. Rachel nodded, standing up and moving over to her desk, finding her spare cardigan in the bottom draw before taking off her suit jacket, remembering to take the mobile phone out of it. She then rolled the jacket into a makeshift pillow and set it on one end of the other side of the couch from where Michael and Eddie sat.

"Come on, love, let's get you down for a nap."

Michael nodded, very sleepy as he slid from where he was sat and stumbled over to Rachel, who picked him up and laid him down on the couch on his side, covering him with her cardigan. "Thank you." He whispered as he drifted off, Rachel placing the small bin next to the couch where his head was, just in case he was sick.

"Thank you, Rachel. I really didn't know what to do with him." Eddie confessed in a hushed voice, though it still caused Rachel to jump before she flushed in embarrassment that she'd just effectively taken over Eddie's child without a thought to the man in question. "I've never had him when he's been ill before."

"He'll feel better when he wakes up. It'll probably just be like a twenty four hour thing, Eddie." Rachel informed him as Eddie stood up, the pair stood shoulder to shoulder, staring down at the sleeping little boy. "Uh, do you want to take him home? I can try to find cover for you, and I can do it if all else fails."

"No, I can't move him, not when he looks so comfortable." It was Eddie's turn to flush bright red. "Uh, that is if you don't mind him being in here."

"Of course not." Rachel waved it off. "It's not a bother. Michael seems like a really sweet little boy."

"Thanks, Rach." Eddie found her hand and squeezed her fingers to convey his gratitude. "I have to get to my room, do some marking, but if he needs me…"

"I'll get Bridget to come and find you straight away." Rachel assured him. "Eddie, Michael just feels awful right now, but the sleep should help. He'll be okay Eddie." She told him firmly, correctly guessing what really had Eddie so awkward and stumbling over his words; worry over his son's welfare. Eddie nodded jerkily, his eyes still on Michael's sleeping face.

"Alright. I'll come back at dinner, see how he is."

"I thought you were having lunch with Melissa." Rachel returned softly, recalling that Philip had told Alia about the lunch Melissa had planned over the weekend, shortly after Mollie had gone home with her father on the Saturday night, though they came round again on Sunday. "Philip told me." She added as she saw Eddie's confused expression.

"Ah, well, no, it's not happening, not today at least. Michael needs me, and he'll always come first." Eddie responded firmly, throwing Rachel a brief smile as he kissed Michael's forehead and left the room. Rachel shut the door gently behind him and glanced again at the sleeping child before moving her paperwork to the coffee table and sitting on the other side of the couch to Michael, in case he needed her quickly. Making sure he was okay, Rachel settled down with her paperwork, intent on getting some work done before dinnertime.

TBC…