Okay so because it has been SOOO long since I last updated this fic I felt like a fresh start was needed…
So we are now a year on…
So Simon is now 17, Cassia is now 11 and is in her first year of secondary school, Jakey is 7, Freddie is 3 and James is now 8.
When we left MF, Peter was drinking again, a year on and it has been a hard old year for Carla & Peter, with multiple trips to rehab for Peter, who has struggled-to stay off the booze, but the couple are just about still together.
Part 2 starts with Carla & Peter on their way back-home after a much needed holiday together. Peter is in a sober place right-now.
Michelle & Steve were stood-in the back-room-of the Rovers together. Michelle had ushered Steve back-there for a quick-word while Liz kept the bar going.
"What is it?!" Steve asked-Michelle.
"It's Carla & Peter, they're back from France today." Michelle told-her Husband, they had been looking after Cassia, Jakey and Freddie whilst the couple had been away.
"Okay, so do we need-to pick the kids-up early then?!" Steve asked.
"Yeah we do…But I think we need-to sit-them down and talk-to them before their Mum & Dad get back…I haven't really spoken-to Carla whilst they've been-away, so I don't know how successful this holiday has been…" Michelle trailed-off sadly…
"Okay…Poor Kids…What about James?!" Steve asked.
"He's got chess-club today, Amy's gonna pick-her-up for me which was kind-of her." Michelle said.
"Owh that's good then. I don't want him getting caught-up in all of this." Steve replied, with a heavy-sigh…He really hoped Peter was on the mend now…
Carla & Peter were currently in Portsmouth, waiting for their train back-to Manchester.
They were sat-in the station cafe together. Carla looked-over-at Peter.
"You're quiet." She told-him, worried about him as she watched-him sip-at his coffee.
"Am I?!" Peter asked.
"Yeah you are…Very…Everything Okay?!" Carla asked-him softly.
"I'm just worried…" Peter trailed-off.
"What about?!" Carla asked-him gently.
"The kids…What if they hate me?! I mean, especially Cass…She's grown-up with this…Dad's drinking, Dad's not drinking, owh, Dad's drinking again…I wouldn't blame her if she never wanted-to see me ever-again…" Peter said, sadly.
"Owh Peter…Of-Course they won't hate-you…You're 3 weeks sober now…You were sober for a week before we went-away, and you've been sober the past 2 weeks whilst we've been-in France…You're doing really well Baby…" Carla replied, trying-to encourage-her Husband.
"You amaze-me sometimes…If I were you, I would have binned-me-off long-ago…I'm hardly a decent Husband am I?! And I'm not much-of a Father either…Ya know what?! Why am I even coming-home with you?! I'm just gonna mess-it all up again aren't I?!" Peter said, close-to tears as he spoke.
"Peter! Stop beating-yourself-up. I stick-by ya because I love-ya Baby…Fo better for worse, in sickness and in health…That's what we promised, and I don't break promises." Carla told-him, firmly.
"Yeah but I do, don't I?! How many times have I promised you and the kids that I won't ever drink again eh?!" Peter reminded-her.
"Peter you've got-to stop this. You've been ill…You're a brilliant Husband and you're a brilliant Father…And it's about time you start believing that…" Carla trailed-off, leaning-over and tightly squeezing Peter's hands with her own.
A short-while later, out-on the Street, Steve had just left the Rovers to go and pick the Barlow kids-up from School and Nursery.
"Hey Steve!" Simon called from behind-him, running-to catch-up with the man.
"Owh, hey Si, how are you Matey?!" Steve asked-him, putting his arm around the young-man as he caught-up with him.
"I'm Okay…Mum said that me Dad & Carla are back today…" Simon said.
"Yeah they are, I'm just going-to pick the kids up now actually…How are you feeling about-it all?!" Steve asked Simon.
"I don't really know how to feel about-it to be honest…Ya know, I love my Dad, Steve…You know that I do…And I know that his alcoholism is an illness and that he can't always help-it…But it's tiring seeing-him go through this time and time again…If it weren't for Leanne, I'd have been a right-mess growing-up…I just hope that Carla can do the same for my brothers and sister…" Simon trailed-off sadly.
"Hey…I'm sure she'll cope…You and Leanne got through-it didn't ya?!" Steve tried-to re-assure the young-man, who was basically like a nephew to him nowadays.
"Yeah but look how that ended…My Mum & Dad split-up because she couldn't take-it anymore…" Simon replied, sadly.
"But that was right-at the start-of your Dad's drinking problem…And your Dad & Carla have been together for far longer than your Mum & Dad ever were…Your Dad knows what he has to do to pull-things back-together again Si…There's a light-at the end-of this tunnel, I promise-ya Mate." Steve told-him sympathetically.
"Yeah well it's a long-old tunnel…" Simon trailed-off.
A short-while later and Steve and Michelle were now sat-down with the Barlow Kids in the back-room-of the Rovers, including Simon, who wanted-to be there to support his younger siblings.
"When are Mummy & Daddy getting-here?!" Jakey asked, innocently.
"Soon my darlin', soon I promise. But listen, me and Uncle Steve wanted-to talk-to you all…Which is why we've picked-you all-up early." Michelle explained.
"Talk to us about what?!" Cassia asked.
"Well, you all know why your Mum & Dad have been on holiday don't ya?!" Michelle began.
"Daddy Poorly." Freddie frowned.
"Yeah that's right darlin'…And they went away so they could have some space, so Daddy could get better forever and ever." Michelle said.
"And?! What does that have to do with us?!" Cassia asked.
"Well…" Michelle trailed-off, becoming tearful, so Steve took-over.
"Ya see, the thing is kids, we don't know if your Daddy is going-to be better or not…He might-be…But, we wanted-to warn-you…That he might not-be…" Steve told-them all truthfully.
"So Daddy might not be coming-home?!" Jakey asked, worriedly.
"Owh no…He's definitely coming-home Sweetheart." Michelle re-assured the little-boy.
"But basically he might be drunk…" Cassia said, obviously annoyed-as she walked-out-of the room.
"I'll go and talk-to her." Simon said, maturely.
"Thanks Mate." Steve replied, gratefully.
"Is what Cassia said true?! Will Daddy be drunk again?!" Jakey asked, tears falling from his eyes as he spoke.
"I'm sure he won't be my darlin'." Michelle tried-to convince an upset Jakey.
"Jakey is sad." Freddie said-to both Michelle & Steve, the little-boy understood parts-of what was going-on, but he didn't fully understand the impact that Peter's drinking had upon their family.
"I know he is Mate…Are you sad too?!" Steve asked-him.
"No…I am never sad." Freddie said, shooting Steve a nervous smile.
"Well you should be!" Jakey snapped-at Freddie angrily as he cried.
"Hey hey hey, come-on now Jakey…He doesn't understand." Michelle told Jakey, pulling the young-boy in for a long-hug as he cried his eyes-out.
"Come On Freddie, let's go and find some toys upstairs shall we?!" Steve told the little-lad, leaving Michelle to comfort Jakey in peace.
Simon and Cassia were now at the Red-Wreck together, they were sat-on the swings, gently swinging backwards and forwards as they chatted.
"I know how you're feeling you know?!" Simon told his Little-Sister.
"How?! How could you possibly know how I'm feeling. You're not Me!" Cassia snapped.
"No, I'm not you…But I've been through what you're going through with Dad…" Simon told-her, truthfully.
"Why can't he just stop drinking?!" Cassia asked, angrily.
"It's not that simple Cass and you know-it…Besides…We don't even know if he is still drinking yet Cass…Michelle & Steve were just warning-us just incase, that's all." Simon replied, sensitively, but slightly firmly at the same-time, wanting to get his point-across.
"I just want my Dad back Si…" Cassia cried-to her older-brother.
"We all do Cass…And he will be…Hey come-here." Simon said softly, standing-up, walking-over-to his Sister, and hugging-her as he pulled-her to her feet.
"Why can't everyone be happy again?!" Cassia said through her tears.
"We'll be happy again, I promise-you. But if Dad's gonna get better then we've got to believe-in him, not be angry at him…Okay?!" Simon told his little-sister.
Please Review!
How will the kids react when Carla & Peter eventually arrive home?!
