Hi. I would just like to say thank you for your kind comments about my mum and my writing, I really appreciate your support. But I'm trying to live my life as normal, and trying to get back to everything that I did before, I guess so I don't feel as if much has changed. So, I've decided to write a new story, this time I have a plot set before hand and I'm not going to rush it. I really hope you all like it. Thank you so much.
Lucie, xxx.

Disclaimer?: I unfortunately don't own any of these characters, they belong to the BBC.

It was just another rainy February morning in Rochdale. Karen awoke at around 7am in her blue painted bedroom. Next to her lay her boyfriend Rob, though she felt childish when saying he was her boyfriend, yet couldn't think of another word. 'Partner' just sounded too old. Rubbing the bits of mascara out her eyes, she turned on to her side to face her partner/boyfriend/Rob. She thought he looked beautiful sleeping, so innocent and calm, at peace with the world. She didn't expect him to be waking up any time soon, and felt harsh were she to force him to get up. Instead, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the metal bed and slipped her feet into rabbit-shaped slippers. They were a joke-present from Rob at Christmas, and although she'd given him a sarcastic look when receiving them, she secretly adored them. Karen got up and walked to the door. She opened it as quietly as she could, and succeeded, but when she began to venture towards the bathroom the door slammed with a loud 'bang!' behind her. This awoke pretty much all the house: Rob, Jess, Harry and a month old baby. Several groans emitted from the mouths of the three old enough to talk, and their groans got even louder when baby Emilie started to wail.
"Jess!" Karen shouted, indicating for her to take care of her daughter. Karen had made it very clear that she was not to play mother here, and that Emilie was Jess' full responsibility. Surprisingly, Jess was doing a rather good job of being a mother, especially without a father there. Aiden had decided to live with his mother, therefore abandoning his child and its mother, just like Jess – and the rest of the family – had assumed to happen. They had protested at first, but upon realising there was no room in the house for him to stay, eventually let him have his own way. Rob missed him, of course he missed him, but he had Karen to sleep next to him every night which seemed to brighten everything up. Jess rushed out her room and into Bex's old room which had been converted into a nursery as Bex was now living in a flat in Manchester whilst at university. Karen stood on the landing and sighed, placing a hand on her forehead. She really didn't feel well. Suddenly, two arms wrapped around her waist and she was pulled backward slightly until she was leaning against the man who stood behind her. She flopped against his bare chest and let her head rest on his shoulder, closing her eyes as he rocked her slowly side to side.
"Kid's eh?" he murmured into her ear, before planting a kiss on top of her head. Karen turned in his arms and rested her hands on his torso, smiling at him. Rob's heart sped up a little; she did have a nice smile. He expected her to say something, but instead she placed a quick kiss on his cheek and walked down the stairs to get breakfast ready, in nothing but her nightie. Rob looked her up and down, smiled at himself (and her legs) and went back to bed.

"Harry! Rob! You're going to be late if you don't hurry!"
Karen fumbled with two bowls and spoons, and a cereal box, attempting to carry them to the table without dropping them. Jess was on maternity leave, but was downstairs before either of the boys were out of bed. She sat Emilie in her high chair and began feeding her what looked like dog vomit, which actually made Jess want to vomit. Nevertheless, she wanted to show her mum she was capable of being a good mother and continued spooning the food into her daughter's mouth.
"You're up early!" exclaimed Karen, shocked by the fact her daughter was up at little past 7:15am.
"Oh, haha, am I?" replied Jess, who had just dropped food down her pyjamas and was now scrubbing at it with a wet dishcloth.
"Yes." Karen stated who then walked over to Jess to help with the shit on her top. A few seconds later, Rob swung round the door frame and over to the kettle in one swift movement and got himself a biscuit out the tin. He sat on the kitchen counter top, eating a chocolate digestive. "Morning!"
"I've got you some cereal out, you unhealthy bugger," Karen joked, but did however take the biscuit out his hands and dropped it into the bin, "And get off my counter!"
Rob put his hands up, surrendering to her, and hopped off the counter. She smacked his arm. He just laughed, though Karen wasn't too impressed.
"Morning darling" he spoke through a laugh, and placed a kiss on her little pink lips. Karen threw her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss as his tongue slipped through her lips and over the top of hers, under hers and all over her mouth.
"Ewwwwww" Jess shouted at the couple, putting one hand over her eyes and the other over Emilie's, causing Karen to giggle into Rob's mouth and had to unwillingly break contact with lips, and instead rested her forehead against his.
"Stop it with yer kissing, it's disgusting"
"You're the one with a baby, you done a lot more than kissing" came a voice in the doorway causing everyone in the room to jump and turn round; they were unaware that Harry had joined them at some point. Karen giggled and gave Rob another kiss on his cheek, and brushed past Harry to go get changed.

Karen had come to love driving to work when Rob was in the car with her. He'd hold her hand whilst she was driving and they would sing along to old songs on Radio 2, they'd have amazing conversations and laugh like there was no tomorrow, all in the space of a 15 minutes drive to Waterloo Road. Karen had been reinstated as the head teacher at Waterloo Road after Richard had been fired for using Eleanor the way he did. Rob was also now a teacher and he taught English Literature along with Grantly, Tom and Eleanor. Karen was in the car, driving, holding hands with Rob like usual. She was a little earlier than usual, so decided to take a longer route through some countryside. Longer route meant more time with Rob, which meant happier Karen.
"Turn around bright eyes!" Karen sang at the top of her voice, and Rob joined in singing "Every now and then I fall apart!" though it was more shouting than singing, and rather out of tune. Karen had one hand on the wheel and the other in Rob's own. Both burst into "Every now and then I fall apart!" and sang the rest of the song in imperfect harmony. When the song finished, they fell into fits of laughter. Suddenly, a deer ran out into the icy road and Karen immediately stopped laughing and slammed her foot down.

"Has anyone seen Karen and Rob?" asked Chris to the gormless looking teachers drinking their coffee and arguing at morning break in the staffroom. It was 11am and neither had been in yet. Silence fell upon the staffroom, and a few people exchanged glances and shrugged at Chris. He sighed. "Okay.." and he tried to ring Karen for the 26th time that morning.