Disclaimer: As always they're not mine, more's the pity :(

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Rachel had been sick every morning for the past week and the fact hadn't been lost on her sister. Melissa had felt bitter ever since she had broken up with Eddie, knowing full well who the culprit that had poached his heart was, however oblivious the ignorant homewrecker may've been. So what, she schemed as she loitered outside the ladies' toilets for the fifth morning in a row, listening to the headmistress' sins being flushed away, did anyone expect her to do with this information? Surely as his ex-fiance she should inform Eddie of her sister's condition - after all it was still her duty to care for his welfare, wasn't it? She smiled to herself as she pushed off the wall she'd been leaning on and disappeared around the corner to avoid being caught by the unsuspecting Rachel. Maybe this school still did have some promise.

The person in question exited the staff bathroom with a hand to her head and groaned slightly, allowing herself a small moment of relief while she was sure no-one was around. That had been the sixth time this week, not to mention the embarrassment of nearly throwing up all over the gas man after she made them a coffee. She hadn't been surprised that he'd left pretty quickly after that, having not even touched his own drink. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she almost squealed when someone stepped out in front of her suddenly, with a

"Rachel! Hey, I've been looking for you everywhere!" She put a hand to her chest melodramatically.

"Sir, I think you almost killed me."

"Sorry." He grinned. "Want to come for a quick pre-school coffee? I'll make it myself!" Rachel raised her eyebrows at him mockingly. "Okay, so it won't be entirely homemade, but I'll refill the filters in the machine myself!" She smiled, but declined the offer.

"Don't think I could stomach coffee right now, and anyway I had one at home this morning like I always do. Can't function without it!" She paused a moment, frowning. "Hey, hang on, you know I have to get my caffeine fix before school – you were just trying to get me high as a kite, weren't you?!" Eddie put his hands up.

"Guilty. And yes, I was trying to take advantage."

"Mr Lawson!" she said, gasping in mock horror. Eddie laughed.

"Come on, we'd better get some work done before the great unwashed descend. You know what Fridays are like, we need our wits about us!"

Melissa found Eddie mid-way through a lesson, knowing it was the only time she could be certain of his whereabouts. She rapped curtly on the glass and pushed the door open without waiting to be invited in.

"Mr Lawson, could I speak to you outside for a moment?" To their credit, the Year Tens didn't miss a beat, jumping straight in with a chorus of "oohs" and wolf-whistles.

"Hey!" Eddie shouted over the din. "Settle down!" They obliged, but begrudgingly so, Mr Lawson being the only teacher able to control the livewire year group. "Erm, Miss Ryan," he said, turning his attention to Melissa, "could it not wait 'till later? I'm teaching right now."

"Yes, I can see that, but it's important and I don't know if I'll be able to catch you again." Eddie sighed and walked over to her, pulling the door to behind them so the class couldn't hear.

"Meet me by my car at the end of the day if it's that important. I've got some paperwork to catch up on so I'll be there at about quarter to four if you want to wait. Now, I've got to get back," he said, nodding to the twenty or so kids that had their noses pressed to the glass, trying to listen in. Melissa shook her head.

"Well, good luck with that lot!"

No-one could quite figure out why Melissa Ryan was so happy after that, though she wasn't the only one to gain from the situation…

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The man had sat outside the school all day, perched on the low roof of the canteen so he wouldn't be seen unless someone knew where to look. He had seen the bubbly blonde practically skip out of the building at around half three, long after the students had rushed home. He had contemplated going home himself, but he was glad he'd stayed a while longer when he'd watched the scene unfold in front of him. A quarter of an hour after the blonde had walked to and perched on the bonnet of a car a man had followed her, someone who he was pretty sure he'd seen somewhere before. Reaching for the binoculars he'd bought especially for the occasion he trained them on the couple to see if he was right about the man's identity. Yes. Eddie Lawson. He grinned to himself. And the woman – oh, he couldn't believe it! Melissa Ryan? That was something he hadn't bargained for, but it was- hang on, what were they talking about? Focusing the binoculars further he got as close to the pair's mouths as he could. 'P-r…' Lawson had just said something but he hadn't quite caught it. Damn. Whatever it was had been important. Hang on… there it was again! His lip-reading skills were rudimentary at best, but there was no mistaking the word that Eddie had just yelled across the eerily empty playground.

"PREGNANT?!"

He could have laughed in delight but he caught himself. This was an unforeseen bonus alright! Wouldn't do to get found now though, would it? The fun was only just starting. His good mood improved further however as he saw the colleagues hug and Eddie unmistakeably ask Melissa whether she would like a lift home. With a car still standing in the car park that had 'THE RY4N' emblazoned across its number plate he was pretty sure he didn't mean to take her back to her own house, either.

He was happier than he'd been in weeks, months even. He couldn't help recalling the debacle on Saturday when Rachel Mason had caught him skulking around her front garden after coming home laden with Tesco bags. He had however prided himself on his quick thinking, offering to help her with her shopping and telling her that he was just there to check her gas meter. She'd accepted his excuse without much thought and as a bonus he'd been able to see that the method he'd found in one of his brother's books was working very well. He'd scarpered after she'd rushed off looking a bit green as he lost his bottle a bit but it had been worth it to know that he could get to her so easily. What's more, Melissa telling Eddie that her sister was pregnant meant that stage one had been successful. Brilliant.

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Rachel came back to school after the weekend feeling as rough as ever and promptly threw up in the toilet right on time. It was a routine she was becoming accustomed to, but not one that she wanted at all. She was pretty damn sure she knew what was going on but she was slightly confused – mainly, how? Yes, she'd got pretty drunk drowning her sorrows a few weeks ago and uncharacteristically latched onto a man but she'd been careful.

Hadn't she?

She shook her head. There was only one rational explanation for this after all. She was going to have to go to the chemists at lunchtime to find out if her hunch – well, more like accurate guess – was right. Washing her hands she left the toilets and almost ran headlong into Eddie. She grinned.

"We meet again, kind sir." He frowned at her.

"I guess so." His tone was cold and it shocked Rachel to hear it.

"Eddie? What's wrong? Has something happened to Michael?"

"Why? Should it have?"

"Erm; no." Rachel was utterly confused.

"Right. Anything else you'd like to tell me?"

"No…"

"Hmm. Well, I thought as much."

"Eddie, what're you talking about?" All trace of a smile was gone from Rachel's face now and if Eddie was joking then she couldn't see it.

"Never mind. Assembly's in forty-five minutes." With that he walked off, leaving a very mixed-up Rachel behind him.

Rachel let herself out of the cubicle and binned the blue-tipped stick before she turned the tap on and slowly washed her hands. After drying them she leant on the side of the basin and looked at herself in the mirror, tilting her head slightly as she contemplated the result of the pregnancy test. She should be happy, shouldn't she? She didn't really know what to think. Brushing her hair into place with her fingertips she let her hands drop to the countertop and sighed, looking straight into the deep brown eyes staring back at her. What was she going to do now?

Two hours later she was more than ready to go home early. The final bell had just rung and Rachel had no desire to stay on longer than was necessary after the day she'd had. She told Bridget that she was also free to leave, to which the assistant grinned, thanked her and took off home within the space of sixty seconds. Rachel took to standing at her window appreciating the view of the hundreds of students surging out towards the front gates. Suddenly however a ripple of sound ran through the huge crowd and they all slowly came to a standstill, creating a ring around something hidden amongst the students and staff. Frowning she opened the window to hear better, wondering whether she was going to have to intervene – was it a fight? Just as she was about to run down to the playground though a figure clambered onto one of the cars and it only took her a second to realise that it was Eddie. With a megaphone.

"Hey, everyone." His voice rang out over the school, sending pleasant shivers down Rachel's spine. "I wanted to gather you all here for a moment to introduce you to someone very special. Come on, come on," he said, clearly smiling according to the tone of his voice and gesturing to someone Rachel couldn't see. "She's a little shy, so please be friendly to her- " Rachel squinted at the second figure, but as they straightened up she raised an eyebrow. Melissa? "…let me introduce you all to my fiancé, Melissa Ryan. We're engaged – again!" he added as an afterthought and kissed her.

Rachel felt like she'd been punched in the gut.

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