So I guess after recent spoilers, I was looking for some kind of hope for Carla and Peter and it came in the form of Hayley, and this fic! So enjoy!

Carla walked into Hayley's hospital room, trying her best to forget everything that had happened with Peter and just focus on Hayley for the time being.

"How ya doing?" Carla asked her friend with a forced smile as she sat down beside Hayley in a nearby chair.

"Oh you know me Carla. I'm plodding on." Hayley replied.

"I'm glad to hear it!" Carla told her friend happily, although Hayley could already sense that the usually very loud and upbeat Mrs Connor wasn't her usual self today.

"The Nurse said she likes coming to see me 'cos I'm always smiling." Hayley told her boss, snorting out a little laugh as she did so.

"Well someone has to don't they?...Smile that is..." Carla trailed off as she looked down...Thinking about Peter and Tina...Brr it made her shiver. It was just wrong.

"Everything okay love?!" A concerned Hayley asked the 'Ice Queen' as she noticed a frown forming onto Carla's face.

"What? With me? Oh yeah everything's Hunky Dory!" Carla replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice, but Hayley saw straight through it.

"Carla what's happened love?!" Hayley asked her sensitively.

"Oh Hayley you don't wanna know you've got enough on your plate." Carla replied, feeling some tears prickle at the back of her eyes.

"Carla...Just tell me."

Carla took a deep breath in, knowing she wasn't getting out of this now. "Peter's having an affair with Tina." She blurted out in one quick breath.

Hayley was shocked to say the least as Carla suddenly broke down infront of her into floods of tears. "Oh love come here." She said, comforting her boss with a warm hug.

A couple of minutes later, Carla's tears had subsided. "I don't know what to do Hayley. I wanna hate him...I do hate him for what he's done...But I love him!" Carla said as she fought away the tears.

"Does he love you?" Hayley asked her softly.

"I dunno...He cried his eyes out when I confronted him the other night...I could tell he was sorry...But he's still an idiot..." A confused Carla trailed off truthfully to her fellow companion.

"We'll for what it's worth...Whatever Peter has done...I think he does still love ya...Hate him all ya like...But putting Tina aside for just a second...I know that Peter loves ya to bits Carla..." Hayley trailed off, trying to help this obviously broken woman best she could.

"Do ya though?" Carla questioned.

"Think back to Frank." Hayley told Carla softly, who frowned not wishing to go back to those awfully painful memories.

"I'd rather not if it's all the same Hayley." She replied calmly.

"Who was the one person who was constantly there for ya. Even lying to his own wife to check if you were okay after you had been attacked?!" Hayley asked the broken Factory Boss.

"But that was different we weren't together then." Carla tried to excuse herself.

"Just answer me Carla." Hayley replied to her rather firmly.

"...Peter..." Carla stuttered out.

"Correct...And who gave up his marriage, let his son go and live with someone else...Just for you?!" She asked.

"Peter..." Carla trailed off a little confused as to where Hayley was taking this...

"Correct...And tell me Carla, after Franks murder...Who was prepared to go to prison for ya?!" Hayley questioned.

"Peter." She replied once more.

"And who was the first man you trusted after Frank?" Hayley pushed.

"Okay Hayley enough!" Carla told her a little frustratedly before she frowned at the woman sadly. "Sorry..." She trailed-off calmly.

"Carla. If that's not love then I don't know what is." Hayley told her softly as Carla began to get tearful once again.

"Then why cheat on me Hayley?! After everything...Why would he do that to me if he so called loves me?!" A tearful Carla asked the woman who sighed.

"Oh love...I can't answer that question...But Peter's a complicated man...You know that more than anyone...And I'm a firm believer that everyone deserves a second chance...No matter what they've done...As long as they're remorseful...And by what you said earlier...I'd say that he is..." Hayley advised Carla.

"But what if I can't trust him again?" A vulnerable Carla asked.

"You trusted him not to drink again after the last time didn't ya?" Hayley replied.

"I spouse but..."

"The trust will come Carla..." Hayley interrupted her. "Eventually...If you take him back..."
"But what if I've stopped loving him Hayley?!" Carla cried, obviously desperate to forgive Peter but seriously struggling with the idea...She had never been one for moving on easily...

"Carla love...I don't think any amount if hate is gonna stop you from loving that man...He could sleep with 100 woman and you'd still love him deep down inside." Hayley told her truthfully.

"He'd be lying in this hospital bed right now if he had done..." Carla trailed off, making Hayley giggle slightly.

"And I'm quite willing to believe that Carla. But he hasn't has he? It was one woman. One massive, stupid mistake. Has he stopped seeing Tina?!" Hayley asked her Factory Boss sensitively.

"He says he has..." An unsure Carla replied, not sure what to trust anymore...

"Then I believe him...And if he tells ya that he still loves ya...Then I believe him on that too..." Hayley said, knowing that Peter Barlow was a good and decent man who would do anything for Carla when it came down to it.

"Alright well thanks Hayley. This was the last thing you needed. But it's helped me get my thoughts together." Carla thanked her friend gratefully. Hayley was her rock. She didn't
Know he she was going to cope without her...

"Anytime love. Let me know how ya get on with Peter..." Hayley told her softly.

"I will do." Carla replied as she headed towards the door of this small and rather claustrophobic hospital room.

"Oh and Carla..." Hayley called.

"Yes Hayley?!" Carla replied.

"Ya might wanna redo yer make-up before anyone sees ya...The smudged mascara look ruins your tough woman reputation..." Hayley joked, making Carla laugh for the first time in what felt like forever...

Please Review!