ONESHOT: So Carla never left and managed to pull herself together after her and Nick split-up. But now Peter is back on the Street, how will she react?
"Peter's back?! Since when?!" Carla asked-her friend-as she stood across the bar from her.
"Since yesterday so Steve tells-me…Just in time for Ken to have a stroke…Poor man…Ken that is…Not Peter…" Michelle said, despite her less than pleasant feelings towards Peter, she did like Ken.
"Yeah…Shame that…Is he gonna be okay?!…Ken that is…Not Peter." Carla asked, with a slight chuckle-at how she had just done exactly the same-thing as Michelle.
"I don't know…They've all been at the hospital since last-night so no-one's heard anything as yet…" Michelle told Carla softly.
"Owh Okay…Well anyway, I best be getting back-to work…I'll cya later 'Chelle…" Carla trailed-off before heading-towards the door-of the Rovers.
"Cya Love." Michelle replied.
Just as Carla stepped-out-of the door, she found-herself stood just infront of none-other than her Ex Husband…Peter Barlow himself.
"Peter." Carla said simply.
"Carla." Peter replied, in total shock-at seeing his Ex-Wife again. The love-of his life.
Carla scanned-up and down Peter's body, but then she noticed the nasty gash just next-to his eye. 'Another Scrap Probably…' She thought.
Just as the silence began-to get awkward, Carla spoke-up.
"I'm sorry-to hear about your Dad." Carla said, as much as she despised Peter sometimes, there was no denying how much he loved his Dad and how tearful and devastated he looked just at the very mention-of him.
"Yeah…Yeah me too…Listen…Why don't you come next-door-to Number 1?!…Tracy's still at the hospital and I don't really think a pub is the best place for me to be right-now…Besides, it's not like I'd really be welcome is it?!" Peter said.
"Owh I don't know Peter…" Carla trailed-off.
"Please Carla?!" Peter pleaded with her with those wide puppy-dog eyes of his. "I could-really-do with the company right-now…" He told-her truthfully.
"Owh go-on then…I spose I could spare a minute or two…" Carla replied, giving-into him.
"Thank You. And I mean-that." Peter said-as Carla followed-him next-door.
A few minutes had now passed-by and Peter had brought Carla her hot mug-of coffee as she sat-at the table in the Barlow's Household. She felt awkward being here, and every part-of her wanted to shout-at Peter…But she wasn't that cruel…She couldn't be, not whilst Ken was still in hospital at-least…
Peter sat opposite Carla at the table, not wanting her to think that he was trying-to win her back or anything. Because 1 he didn't want her to leave and 2 because this time he genuinely wasn't. He just appreciated having her company at this difficult time.
Again, it was quiet for a little-while until Carla once-again broke the silence.
"So then, tell-me, how'd ya get that gash on your head?! Looks Nasty…Been scrapping again have we?! Wouldn't surprise-me…" Carla asked-him, half jokingly, but half-seriously, she was just trying-to lighten the mood-up a bit.
"No I haven't been actually…Anyway you wouldn't believe-me even if I did tell-ya the truth…" Peter trailed-off, sadly.
"Try Me." Carla told-him softly.
"I saved someone's life…" Peter said.
"Ya what? Who are ya?! Superman?!" Carla giggled.
"You see, I told-ya that you wouldn't believe-me…" Peter said, a little disappointed. "No-one ever does these days…"
"Well dya blame-us Peter?! It's not as if you're known for your total honesty is it?!" Carla reminded-him.
"I know…And I know that I don't deserve to be trusted-by anyone around-here ever again after what happened last-time…Especially not you…But I really-am telling the truth this time Carla…Please just believe-me…Just let-me explain…" Peter begged-his Ex-Wife.
"Alright, go-on then…" Carla said.
"I was meant-to be coming back-here to see Simon play-in the tournament finals with his football-team last-week…" Peter began.
"Yeah and as per-usual you were a no-show…No surprise there ey?! Poor-lad was devastated." Carla told-him, harshly.
"Please Carla, just let-me talk." Peter told-her calmly.
"Okay Then…" Carla sighed.
"Anyway, I was just walking over the canal bridge in Portsmouth, heading towards the train-station, when I began-to hear all of this shouting…As if someone needed-help…So I went over-to see what all of the nonsense was about and this poor 17 Year Old girl had lost control-of her car and had ended-up in the canal and was trapped-inside. So I dived-in…And to cut a long-story short…I eventually got her out…But just as I was about to swim to the surface with her, I bashed my head against the edge of the car door and it knocked-me unconscious…Luckily the paramedics were around by this point so they pulled me and this poor girl out-of the water…Ya see, the reason why I never made-it to Simon's footie-match, was because I was in hospital…And the reason why I didn't tell-anyone was because I didn't want-to worry anyone…" Peter told Carla, incredibly vulnerably, this event had obviously affected-him emotionally.
"Owh my gosh…Peter! You should have told someone what had happened! Does your Dad know the truth yet?!" Carla asked-him.
"No…And he probably never will unless you believe-in miracles…" Peter said, rather-tearfully.
"Depends on the person who needs-it…But for a good-man like your Dad…Well I reckon he deserves-it…" Carla tried-to re-assure Peter with a gentle smile and wink.
"We were arguing just before he had his stroke…Ever since that day…I haven't been sleeping very well…I just keep-on mulling-it all over in my head…What if this had happened?! What if that had happened?! And it just goes on and on…So I went for a walk to try and calm my thoughts…But of-course…My Dad thought I had been drinking…Which I hadn't been by the way…Or that I had been upto something suspicious…When in reality…I was just trying-to calm myself down so I might be able-to get some sleep…" Peter told Carla truthfully, close-to tears now.
"My own Dad couldn't even believe in me…And now he probably won't even get-to be proud-of me…" The poor-man cried-to his Ex-Wife.
"Owh Peter…He will…I'm sure of it…He'll pull through this…And when you tell-him what you have just told-me…He'll be so so proud-of ya…I promise." Carla told-him.
"Anyway, that's quite enough about-me…How have you been?!" Peter asked-her, generally interested.
"Owh ya know…I'm just about getting-by…By the skin-of me teeth…As always." Carla replied-to Peter. "I haven't been diving into any canals recently thought that's for sure…" She Joked with him.
"What about you and Nick?! Still together?!" Peter asked.
"Owh no no no, that's well and truly in the past-now…Mostly my fault this time though…I slept with someone-else…Stupid I know." Carla said.
"Well, I'll be the last-person to judge-ya for that Carla…As you know all too well…" Peter replied.
"Yeah well at-least the guy I slept with is still alive eh?!" Carla said.
"Owh now that's low…Even for you Carla." Peter told-her, seriously.
"Yeah I know it was, wasn't it?! I'm sorry Peter, I shouldn't have said that." Carla apologised-to him.
"Nah it's okay…" Peter trailed-off, as the pair-of them lapsed-into yet another silence…But this time it wasn't so awkward…It was just…Comfortable…Almost just like how it used-to be between the pair-of them…
"A lot has happened since I've been gone hasn't it?!" Peter said, standing-up whilst taking Carla's now empty mug aswell as his own and heading towards the kitchen to wash them up…And Carla followed-him and stood next-to him.
"Ah come-on Peter…This Street never stops, you should know that by now." Carla told-him, lightheartedly.
"Yeah I know…Simon's just about as tall as me now…If not taller…What's that about hey?!" Peter laughed.
"Ya know what?! He's been through a rough-old time that kid, but he's coming through the other-side-of it now and he's doing great…You should-be so proud-of him Peter…Really, you should-be, I'm not just saying that…" Carla said.
"Yeah I know…And I am…I am proud-of him. Infact, I couldn't be prouder…" Peter replied.
Carla paused-as she looked Peter up and down again like she had done earlier outside The Rovers before sighing.
"We could have been so happy together Peter…Me & You…Why did you have to go and mess-it all up?!" Carla asked-him, gently.
"I honestly can't answer that one for ya Carla…Because I don't know why…But I'm a different man now…Portsmouth…Antigua….Both places have done-me the world-of good…Both jobs I've had have been so supportive-of me trying-to get my head sorted-out again…I've been off the booze for just over 2 Years now…The longest I've ever managed-it for since we were in LA together…" Peter trailed-off.
"Any girlfriends down in Portsmouth?!" Carla asked-Peter, curiously.
"Yeah there was 1…Tash…But that didn't really work-out…" Peter said, sadly.
"Owh Peter you didn't did ya?!" Carla asked.
"Urm, no I didn't actually! I was faithful-to her all the way through and I was 100% sober…But she was a Nurse and I was a crew-man and a sailor…We barely ever saw each-other…And besides…My head was still a complete mess at that point…It did me no good having a girlfriend…." Peter told Carla, truthfully.
"And what about now?! Single?! Taken?!" Carla asked-him.
"Single…Have been since the day Me and Tash split-up…" Peter said.
"Any girls on the scene?!" Carla questioned.
"Okay so I've been on a couple-of dates…And had a few kisses…" Peter trailed-off, rather awkwardly.
"Anything more than a kiss?!" Carla asked-him, rather-amused-by this topic-of conversation.
"Hang-On…What is this?! Jeremy Kyle?!" Peter exclaimed with a laugh.
"No, I'm just intrigued that's all…A girl's allowed-to be nosey isn't she?!" Carla asked.
"I guess-so…" Peter replied.
"Anyway, you haven't answered my question yet…Have you gone any further than a kiss with any-of these dates of yours?!" Carla asked-him with a cheeky-smile-on her face.
"Okay…So if you're asking if I've slept with any-of them then no I haven't…Alright?! Happy Now?!" Peter told-her, honestly.
"Owh Peter Barlow you really have changed haven't you?! What has gotten into you?!" Carla teased-him.
"It was time for me to grow-up…Nearly dying in hospital when I was in prison was a massive wake-up call for me Carla…All of the drinking, the cheating, the lying…That was the life of the younger-me…But I'm a grown-man now Carla…And I needed-to start acting like-one…So when I moved-to Portsmouth I promised-myself that I would get myself sorted-out…Once and for all…No more drinking, no more affairs…No more lies…And that's what I have lived-by ever since." Peter said.
"You should-be proud-of yourself." Carla told-him, admiring his courage to turn-his life around like that.
"I am proud-of myself…" Peter trailed-off as he turned-to face Carla and Carla turned-to face him. Their lips now just inches apart from each-other.
"Good. 'Cos I'm proud-of you." Carla replied, softly, as she leaned-into kiss Peter.
But Peter gently pushed-her away. "I need-to get back-to my Dad. I'm sorry." He said quietly, before heading back-into the living-room to get himself ready-to head back-to the hospital.
Owh I'm Such A Tease! I'm Sorry!
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