Mike and Rachel

Last Updated February 8th 2004

Rachel was reluctant to start a new relationship after her bad experience with Christian,so when Mike Dixon asked her out she was not too keen. Rachel had previously had a crush on Mike a few years earlier but Mike was not interested at the time due to the age difference between them.

This time though Mike was doing all the running and Rachel was interested so eventually agreed to go out with him. Their relationship soon hit a rocky patch, while at the Johnson's party ( where Nikki was raped ) she got the impression that Mike was only interested in getting her into bed but later Mike managed to convinced Rachel he really did like her.

More problems lie ahead when Mike asked Rachel to move in with him. Mike was living in the flat where Rachel had lived with Christian, so when Rachel first moved in she had flashbacks to the time she almost killed Christian by locking him in the bathroom. Mike understood Rachel's uneasiness and helped her get over her fear.

A few months later when Rachel realised that she was pregnant she tried to keep it to herself, as she was worried Mike would abuse the baby just like Trevor had abused her. Rachel confided her fears to both Katie and Jacqui who managed to persuade her that Mike was nothing like Trevor and that he would be a very good father. Mike was delighted at the news that he was to become a father, and soon relayed the good news to Ron who insisted on having a celebration at the Shelf restaurant. Rachel though, had neglected to tell Sinbad the news, so when he heard the news from Ron he was far from pleased at being kept in the dark.

Mike was very keen to marry Rachel, but when he first suggested marriage she was against the idea, but later as Christmas approached he asked again and this time Rachel accepted his proposal. Mike was hoping that Ron would be delighted at their news, but Jacqui also announced her engagement to Nathan at the same time which Ron favoured as Nathan's family were very wealthy.

The baby was due to be born at Christmas which they planned to spend with Ron and Anthea. Mike decided rather than worry about getting Rachel to hospital he would buy a car, but this caused more problems when the car he bought turned out to have been stolen.

Mike had to get a taxi to take them to Anthea's but when they arrived Anthea was surprised to see them as Ron had forgotten to tell her about their arrival.

Rachel had a false alarm on the Wednesday after Christmas and started panicking about how she would get to the hospital on time, now that their new car had been taken away. On New years Eve she hurried off to the hospital but ended up getting stuck in the hospital lift, so that Mike had to deliver the baby himself. However it was a millennium baby girl and Ron is very proud to hold his granddaughter in his arms.

When Rachel and Mike tried to decide on a name for their new baby it was Rachel who suggested they name her Beth after her sister. Mike wasn't too keen on the name at first, thinking it would stir up too many bad memories but later changed his mind after discussing it with Rachel.

Ron saw an opportunity for Rachel and Mike to get some free baby things if they agreed to let a newspaper publish a feature on their Millennium baby. Rachel soon put a stop to this idea, when she explained that once the paper realised that she was a Jordache they would use references to her past to make up a more newsworthy story.

Mike and Rachel soon found conditions far from ideal at Ron and Anthea's house now they had Beth to look after. They couldn't return to their flat as the Parade was being redeveloped, but as a result of the Musgroves leaving Sinbad was able to let them rent his house instead.

At first Mike was delighted at the thought of having a house to themselves, but his delight was short lived when he realised that Katie would be moving in as well so that they could share the cost of the rent between them. More problems lie ahead for Mike and Rachel when Ron turned up on the doorstep asking for a place to stay after Anthea had kicked him out after a row.

Ron and Sinbad didn't get along, so Ron had to be kept out of sight whenever Sinbad was visiting but later Ron bought the house at auction which solved that problem.

Mike and Rachel not only became engaged on the same day as Jacqui but by coincidence both weddings were booked for the same day as well. At first this seemed to be a problem as their families couldn't attend both weddings on the same day, but when Jacqui persuaded Nathan to hold a double wedding at Cuddington Hall the problem was solved. Rachel and Jacqui even shared the same Hen Party when Katie arranged a special Hen week holiday for them in Benidorm.

The wedding almost didn't go ahead though when Rachel worried about Mike abusing baby Beth after Sinbad was accused of child abuse. Sinbad managed to persuade Rachel that neither he or Mike would ever harm Beth. Their wedding was quite successful but was slightly marred by Nathan calling off his marriage to Jacqui at the last minute, although Mike and Rachel benefited by using Nathan and Jacqui's honeymoon holiday instead.

Rachel decided against telling Mike about the allegations of child abuse made against Sinbad, but when he later found out from Jackie Corkhill he argued with Rachel about letting Sinbad near Beth.

Neither Ron or Mike wanted Sinbad to be Beth's Godfather but Rachel was adamant that he should be there so eventually Mike agreed. Later Rachel helped to prove Sinbad's innocence by visiting Kevin in hospital. She realized that he must have been a victim of abuse himself and talked to him about her own experience with her father. After listening to what Rachel had to say Kevin called on Sinbad and decided to tell the police the truth which resulted in the charges against Sinbad being dropped.

When Susannah asked Mike if he could video her wedding, it made him decide to buy some new equipment, but first he had to find the money. First he asked Ron but he didn't think much of Mike's business venture and refused, leaving him no choice but to borrow the money from Bev. Although it seemed a good idea, after a few weeks Mike still only had one booking.

Rachel was very concerned about their financial situation and tried to return to work at Bev's Bar to earn some extra money. Leanne overheard Rachel asking Bev for a job and wasted no time in persuading Bev not to employ her. Ron offered Rachel a job, and although it was only working for Great Grannies as a cleaner, she reluctantly agreed.

Mike's video service suffered a setback when Mick called off his wedding to Susannah, but there was worse in store for Mike when he was a passenger in a car accident which left him with severe back injuries. Ron tried to help out by offering to video Ray and Jessie's wedding, but his efforts were a complete disaster, so Mike wasn't paid. Rachel became very worried about their low income and after talking to Mike they agreed to take out a loan

While Mike was in hospital the Dixon house was burgled, and although this was kept from him, Steve Murray let slip what had happened during a visit. Mike was furious that he hadn't been told and discharged himself from hospital, determined to return home and protect his family. It soon became obvious that due to his disability he was more of a burden than a help, as Rachel, Anthea and Ron struggled to look after him.

Later Mike discovered just how helpless he was, when one of the burglars returned and trashed the house while Mike watched unable to intervene.

As a result of this latest break in Ron resorted to drastic measures to protect his family by obtaining a sawn off shotgun. This was to have tragic consequences when Robbie, who had split up with Jacqui, decided to break into the Dixon house himself. His brother Clint followed him to the house in an effort to persuade him to leave, but Ron heard the disturbance and decided to confront the burglar's armed with the shotgun. It was late at night and Ron couldn't see clearly, so after shouting a warning, Ron shot at a figure in the shadows. When he turned on the lights he realised he had shot and killed Clint Moffat. Anthea called the police while Robbie hid out of sight until he could escape.

When Ron was arrested Mike wanted revenge for all the trouble caused to the Dixon family. He suspected Robbie was behind the burglaries and so with Tim's help confronted Robbie and dealt out some rough justice.

Rachel felt sorry for Katie and vowed to support her, despite Mike insisting she should stay away from her.

When Mike fully recovered from his injuries he started work as a security guard. Despite his job, and Rachel holding down two jobs working for Great Grannies and at Bev's Bar they were still struggling to repay their debts.

When Ron was convicted of illegal possesion of a firearm,and sent to prison, Mike and Rachel stated on at his house. However despite them still having a place to live, their situation became even more serious when Rachel lost both her jobs, and they got further in arrears with the loan company. Rachel even resorted to borrowing money from Beth's savings but eventually Mike ended up in court where he agreed to keep to a repayment plan. Unfortunately things went from bad to worse for Mike and Rachel after a water pipe burst in the loft, flooding the house and forcing them to seek refuge at the Farnhams.

They eventually returned to Ron's house, and with help from Ray managed to make good most of the damage. Later after a fire at the Hiltons bungalow, Mike agreed to let Ray and Jessie stay at Ron's house until their bungalow was repaired. Mike decided to keep this from Ron, and only decided to tell him when he was released from prison.

Unfortunately Ron arrived home before they had a chance to tell him, but although a little shocked to find he had new lodgers, Ron had a different attitude to life and decided to be more understanding of other people's problems. Ron was not exactly overjoyed to be sharing his home with two more people but accepted the situation without making an issue of it.

Jacqui was finding it just too difficult being a full time mother to Harry and Emma, and so gave Rachel the job of looking after them. The extra money was very welcome for Rachel, but when Bev and Mike also expected her to look after Josh, and he proved to be a very troublesome child.

There were worrying times ahead for Mike and Rachel, when Beth became ill and Dr Parr refused to come out and see her. Eventually they took her to hospital where she was diagnosed as having meningitis. Mike wanted to be with Rachel and Beth at the hospital, but when his employer refused him time off work, Mike quit his job as security guard. Although she made a full recovery, Mike blamed Dr Parr for not realising how ill Beth had been.

Meanwhile Jacqui, Max and Ron decided to swap houses, without mentioning the impending move to Mike or Rachel. He was furious about being kept in the dark about such an important decision, although Ron intended them to move with him.

Ron always seemed to favour Jacqui when it came to financial matters, but Mike managed to convince him to let him help run his new laundry business.

The stress of moving house, and setting up the laundry proved too much for Ron, causing him to suffer a heart attack while in Bar Brookie. Luckily Dr Parr was nearby and kept him alive until the ambulance arrived. While Ron was in hospital Mike took over the running of the laundry, although Ron wasn't too impressed by some of his decisions when he returned, and seemed ungrateful for Mikes efforts.

Later the tension in the house made Mike decide that he, Rachel and Beth should move out and stay with Bev for a while, until they found somewhere else to live.

Money, or lack of it always seemed to be a problem for Mike and Rachel, so when they decided to apply for a mortgage to buy their own house it was bound to end in tears.

When the loan was approved, Rachel was not too impressed when Mike told her he had brought a new car to use as a taxi, without discussing it with her first. She soon forgave him though when he agreed to buy a new house.
Mike and Rachel were soon busy out shopping for some fittings for there new home, while Bev wondered how they could possibly afford to spend so much. As they continued their spending spree it soon became obvious they were buying everything on credit.

Their happiness was short lived, as despite Mike working long hours as a taxi driver, their debts were soon spiraling out of control. Mike believed he had found a way of solving their financial problems, and suggested to Rachel that they take in a lodger. She wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea, despite Mike pointing out that the extra money would help to pay their bills. The reason for Rachel's reluctance became clear when she announced that she was pregnant. Mike pretended to be delighted at the news, but was really quite worried how they would manage with an extra mouth to feed.

Mike was having mixed fortunes on the cabs, one customer left her purse behind, and for a while Mike was tempted to keep all the money it contained, but later returned it. Some fares left without a tip, or short changed him, while others were more generous. On his way home one night, Mike offered to pick up a man at the roadside, unfortunately he happened to be a Taxi licence inspector. He told Mike that as a private hire taxi he shouldn't be touting for trade and that he would face a hefty fine as well as getting points on his licence.

Meanwhile Rachel continued to work for the Farnhams, looking after Harry and Emma. When Max asked Rachel to pay the takings from the restaurant into the bank, she tried to ask him about the possibility of either a pay rise or Maternity pay. Max was amazed that she should even ask, and told Rachel that she was lucky to have such an easy job. Later while counting out the money ready to take to the bank, Rachel gave in to temptation and pocketed some of the takings.

Later as Mike prepared to take the television and sell it to a mate from work to help pay the mortgage, he was astounded when Rachel told him that there is no need. She explained that she has paid the installment on the mortgage, and bought a few other things using a pay advance from Max and Jacqui. He wasn't too happy about the windfall though, as there are just too many other bills to pay and the money wouldn't last long.
Meanwhile Max had discovered his bank balance was £1000 short and realised that Rachel must have stolen it. He decided to keep the news from Jacqui and confront Rachel himself.

After asking her about the missing money, Rachel admitted she borrowed it, and tried to convince him that she intended to pay it all back. Max was furious and said that as Rachel hadn't asked either him or Jacqui, she had stolen the money. At first Rachel tried to reason with Max, saying how desperate she and Mike were, but he wasn't at all sympathetic and they ended up arguing. When Jacqui arrived home, Max told her that Rachel had handed in her notice, due to the fact she couldn't cope now she was pregnant.

When Mike asked Rachel why she gave up her job, she told him that Max actually sacked her. Without giving her time to explain the real reason for her dismissal, Mike stormed off to confront him. Mike was in a furious mood, and immediately attacked Max, pinning him up against the car. After Ron pulled Mike off him, Max told him that Rachel stole £1000 from him. Mike was shocked and found it hard to accept that Rachel would do such a thing. Although angry with Rachel, Mike soon forgave her when he realised how desperate she must have been to pay off their debts.

Now that Rachel was out of work, their marriage was under more pressure as they struggled to pay the household bills. Mike in particular was very unhappy with how things had worked out, and found it difficult to talk to Rachel about their problems. One morning as Mike was about to leave Ron's house, Jan Murray appeared and wanted Mike to take her from the close in his Taxi. Mike tried to explain he has just finished work, but Jan took no notice and insisted he accepted her as a fare. As they drove away Mike asked where she wanted to go, but she told him just to keep on driving. Mike has had a long night, and wasn't too pleased that Jan hadn't any particular destination in mind.

When the taxi broke down miles from Liverpool, Mike phoned Ron for help, but when he refused, they had no choice but to spend the night in a nearby bed and breakfast. Mike and Jan spent most of the night talking about their respective lives, and soon discovered that they had a lot in common. Meanwhile Rachel called on Ron Dixon, to ask if he knew the whereabouts of her missing husband.

The next morning Mike suggested he stay with Jan for the time being , and drive her to Manchester where a friend of hers had a place they could stay. Jan wasn't quite so sure though, and suggested Mike got his car fixed, so she could have time to think.
When Mike returned to the B&B, he was shocked to find Rachel in the room waiting for him. At first she didn't realise Jan had also spent the night there, and just wanted to know why Mike had left so suddenly. However when Jan walked in, Rachel suspected the worst ,and accused Mike of leaving her for Jan.
After a lot of explaining and apologising, Rachel seemed to accept that he and Jan hadn't done anything.

Their reconciliation was short lived, for when it became obvious that Mike thought Rachel was of low intellect, she told him their marriage was over and told him to leave. With nowhere else to go, Mike goes back to Ron's house, hoping he will let him stay there.

When Mike next saw Rachel, she was very cool towards him, and the reason became clear when she informed him that she wanted a divorce and told him to get a solicitor.
Mike was horrified as he wanted them to get back together, but Rachel was adamant she wanted to go ahead with a divorce. Mike protested that nothing happened between him and Jan, but Rachel was more annoyed by the fact that he found Jan was better company, and he thought she was dim by comparison.

Mike later called on Rachel again, but at first she wouldn't even let him in the house. Mike pleaded with Rachel that they should give there marriage another go, and that he wanted to be there for his family. Eventually after a lot of pleading and groveling on Mikes part, Rachel agreed to let him move back in.
Delighted by her decision, Mike returned to Ron's house to collect his things. Ron advised him, not only to have a shower and shave before going back, but that he should also buy Rachel a small gift. Mike took heed of this good advice, and arrived at Rachel's with a gift having had a shower and shave beforehand.
Rachel was in a furious mood, apparently Mike hadn't been paying off the loans, and was also five months in arrears with the mortgage. Rachel was devastated and refused to listen to Mikes excuses, and when he gave her the gift, an encyclopedia as a peace offering, he only succeeded in making her so angry that she chucked him out.

Mike was back staying at Rons and sleeping on the sofa, and although Ron understood the situation, he did his best to encourage Mike not to give up on his marriage.
The post brought more bad news for Mike, a letter from Rachel's solicitor, indicating that she has started proceedings for a divorce. This gives Mike the incentive to call on her, but first he asked Ron to accompany him for moral support
Arriving at the house they were shocked to find it empty, and no sign of Rachel. Mike suspected she has gone to live with her mother in Bristol, but after phoning Mandy, Mike was still none the wiser as she said Rachel wasn't there, and refused to tell him where she was staying.
Mike was convinced Rachel was staying with Mandy, and decided to pack his clothes and travel to Bristol to see her. Just before he left, Mike received a phone call from Rachel. She was in fact still in Liverpool, and agrees to meet him in a park for a chat.

After meeting Rachel, Mike discovered that she was now living in a flat after being rehoused by the council. She seemed to have got her life sorted, and even has a social worker to help organise her benefits. Rachel told Mike that he should accept their marriage was over, but she would still allow him to see Beth at Ron's house. This arrangement continued for a while, until one morning when Mike brought Beth back to Rachel's flat, he discovered she was quite ill. Mike believed that as she was pregnant, Rachel needed urgent attention, and so called an ambulance. Once at the hospital after carrying out tests on her, Rachel and Mike are told she had diabetes. Rachel was shocked by the diagnosis, but the doctor assured her that it was unlikely to affect the unborn baby.

When they returned to the flat, Rachel agreed to let Mike stay for a while, so they could discuss how her condition will affect their lives. Mike once again tried to convince Rachel how much he loved her and persuade her to forget about the divorce.
Rachel had a change of heart, and decided to let him back into her life, but rather than rely on his earnings, suggested that she continue to claim benefits as a single parent. Rachel explained to Mike that it was the only way they could manage financially, and that they must tell everyone that they were still separated.
While Mike had been earning his living as a taxi driver, he had also been studying as a teacher. On his first day as a student teacher he was very nervous, and so didn't notice that Rachel was preoccupied with something. When Mike returned to the flat unexpectedly, he was annoyed to find Christy there with Rachel. She explained he had just been giving her a driving lesson, but Mike was even less happy when Rachel told him they had an arrangement to pay for the lessons. They ended up having a row, with Rachel accusing him of being like Trevor, in the way he wanted to control her life. Mike reacted by saying he has had a lot to put up with from Rachel, and related how when they first got together, she wouldn't even leave him alone with their daughter Beth. He told Rachel that he was sick of making allowances for how she was abused by Trevor, and all the bad things that had happened in her life.

When Mike next called on Rachel, she was revising for her theory test and wasn't at all pleased to see him. Mike wanted to talk about their marital problems, but Rachel told him she just wanted to pass her test first time. When Christy arrived to take her to the test center, she told Mike to leave.

Meanwhile at the Dixons, Ron and Bev had decided to tell Mike together about Ron adopting Josh, but when he arrived Josh let slip about the adoption before they had a chance to tell him. Mike was furious and despite Josh saying he wanted Ron as his new dad, he said he would never give Ron permission to adopt him.

Rachel was having a much better day, when she passed her theory test first time, and Christy even gave her a box of chocolates as a reward. Her day was spoilt though by Mike who turned up at her flat, just as she and Christy were having a cup of tea. Mike didn't even congratulate Rachel on passing her test, saying he wanted to speak to her alone. Mike told Rachel that he may soon be homeless if Ron sold the house, and that Ron wanted to adopt Josh after he married Bev. He was shocked when Rachel took Rons side, saying it made sense for him to adopt Josh as Mike had never shown any interest in him. Rachel said that she wanted Beth to be proud of him and that he should make a go of his teaching career.

It's not all bad news for Mike, for when Rachel joined in during the photo session at the wedding reception, she slipped on some spilt beer and the resulting fall made her go into labour. A short time later in hospital Rachel gave birth to their son, and although Mike was delighted, his joy was tempered by the fact Rachel was still adamant their marriage was over.