Just a quick Carter one-shot. I'm afraid this will be staying as a one-shot for the time-being but maybe in the future I might update-it again if I get tempted too. But I want to keep Moving Forwards as my priority right now.
And just for the sake-of this fic, Erica never returned and Nick & Carla have been going from strength to strength! (;
It was the day after Deirdre's funeral and Peter was sat-in the arm-chair at Number One, where he had been staying for the past-couple-of days. Deirdre's death had truly devastated him, after-all, she had practically been like a Mother to him and now she was gone. But he had to stay strong, for his Dad if not Tracy, Simon and himself.
However, Peter was alone in the house for the next-hour or so as Ken and Tracy had taken Eccles out for her morning-walk, determined-to keep things as normal as possible now that the funeral was over. Peter had chosen not to join them on their walk, needing some space from his heartbroken and grieving family, and wanting to just spend some time grieving by himself for his beloved Step-Mother.
Looking-over at the dining-table, he spotted the framed photo of Deirdre that had stood-in pride-of place at her funeral, but next-to, lay various other photos which hadn't ever been framed. Picking-up the pile of old photographs, Peter began to look through the photos, smiling at all the memories that each picture held. He did this until he came across one particular photograph, it was a family photograph taken when he had first joined the Navy as a 16 Year Old Lad. Everyone was in the photograph, including Blanche and Susan.
To say that Ken & Deirdre had been a vital part of his teenage years would have been a lie, Peter and Susan had spent the majority of their youthful years living with their Grandparents, hating their Dad more than anything, convinced that their Dad hated them too, something which Peter deeply regretted nowadays. A few tears managed to escape Peter's eyes as he remembered how proud his Father and Step-Mother were of him on the day that the photograph was taken, even Tracy had managed-to break a smile for him and give-him a celebratory hug.
Peter wiped the few-tears that fell from his eyes as he thought more and more about Deirdre and how much he had come to totally adore that lady over the years.
Peter was distracted from his deep-thoughts by a knock-at the door. Placing the photographs down he stood-up and went-to answer the door.
He couldn't hide his shy-smile that formed-on his face as he opened the door and found, much-to his surprise, that Carla was stood-there, right infront-of him.
"Oh…Hi?!" Peter said a little-bit nervously, hoping that Carla wouldn't notice that he had been crying. The pair-of them were in no way back-on friendly terms as yet, but Carla was sensitive of Peter's recent-loss and so they were being civil with each-other, if only in respect-of Deirdre.
"Hi…" Carla said with a small-sigh, she had hoped that Ken would have answered the door. "I don't suppose Ken is here is he?!"
"No he's out walking Eccles with Tracy at the moment…He shouldn't be too long now though…Why?! It's just that…Well I'm not sure he's up for visitors today?!" Peter replied, protective-of his Dad and not wanting-him to be anymore upset than he already was over Deirdre.
"Owh Okay…Well…I just wondered how he was holding-up that's all?!…After…Yesterday…" Carla said, trailing-off with a sense-of sadness in her voice.
"He's okay…I mean…He's not…Not at all…But…He'll get there…With Mine and Tracy's support he'll get there…" Peter said, and his sentence followed a short-silence; a noticeable awkward atmosphere present between the ex-lovers.
"Peter, I…"
"Don't…Don't say your sorry about my loss." Peter interrupted-her rather-tearfully.
"I wasn't going-to…" Carla lied. "I was gonna say, have a safe trip home tomorrow…It is tomorrow that you go-back-to Portsmouth right?!" She told-him kindly.
"Yeah it is yeah…Listen, Carla…I don't suppose you've got half an hour have you?! It's just that…Well…Me being-in here on my own for too-long…Well it's not good for me…Ya know?!" Peter admitted, knowing that Carla was one-of the few-people who would entirely understand-what he was saying-right-now.
"Then go for a walk?!" Carla suggested, trying-to avoid being alone with the man.
"Owh yeah 'cos that would-go well wouldn't it?! I'd end-up walking straight-into a bottle-of vodka…" Peter told Carla as his voice shook with emotion, he was desperate for some company, the last-thing he wanted was-to end-up falling-off the wagon again rather spectacularly.
"Fine…" Carla sighed. "But just half an hour okay?! I have got a factory to run ya know?!"
"Yeah I know…Thanks Carla…" Peter told-her gratefully as he allowed-Carla to walk-on through to the living-room.
A couple-of minutes later and Peter had made them both a cup-of coffee, handing Carla's mug to her as he sat opposite-her at the dining-table.
"Ugh! Cor Peter, I see your coffee making skills haven't improved then?! How strong did ya wanna make this?!" Carla Joked, trying-to lighten the rather tense and awkward-mood.
"Sorry…I guess I thought a stronger coffee might have taken away the temptation to down 5 bottles of vodka…" Peter trailed-off a little-bit sadly.
"Only 5?! Not like you to stop there Peter…" Carla said, a little-bit sarcastically.
"Don't Carla…It's not funny." Peter said, a little-hurt by-her comment.
"Sorry…Anyway, how have you been doing since you got the news?!" Carla asked-him, seriously.
"To be honest with ya Carla, I've barely been keeping-it together…I mean, if it hadn't of been for Sasha coming-into my life then…"
"Woah! Stop. Who's Sasha?!" Carla asked, intrigued.
"Owh Sorry…Did ya not know?! Sasha's my new partner…Sorry Carla, you shouldn't have found-out like that…" Peter said, feeling a little-bit guilty now.
"No it's okay…I've moved-on too…" Carla re-assured-him, unsure-of how Peter would react-to the idea-of her being with Nick Tilsely, his number one love-rival.
"Yeah so I heard…I won't say a word about your choice-of man but I suppose if you're happy then…"
"I am happy…He's looking-after-me Peter, I promise. Anyway, that's enough about-me, I was asking about-you…So this Sasha…Are you happy?!" Carla asked-him turning the tables slightly.
"Yeah…She really looks-after-me Carla…I mean, when my Dad rang-to tell-me about Deirdre…I completely fell-apart…And I was so close to just drinking myself into complete-oblivion…But she spotted-that in me and she stopped-me in my tracks…She's really sorted-me out Carla…I haven't touched a drop-of alcohol ever-since I left Weatherfield back-in November last-year…" Peter told Carla truthfully.
"Well that's great Peter…I'm really pleased-for you…And I mean that…" Carla told-him sincerely.
"But that doesn't stop-me loving-you Carla…I mean, I love Sasha, I really-do, more than anything…But I don't think I'll ever stop loving-you Carla…And Sasha knows that…She knows all about-you…And she also knows what I did…And how badly I treated-you…Which is why we can't be together anymore…" Peter explained-to Carla as a couple-of tears fell-from his eyes.
"Owh Peter…" Carla said softly with a quiet-sigh. "Look, if I'm being totally honest with myself, there's still a part-of me that loves-you too, and that will always love-you, regardless of who I'm with or who you're with…But I don't think it's good for either-of us to be getting ourselves into this conversation…The only reason I'm sat-here is because you looked-like you needed-some support over Deirdre's passing…" She told-him extremely-truthfully.
"I miss-her so much Carla." Peter admitted-as looked-down rather-sadly.
"I know-ya do…She were good for you…I mean…I know that she wasn't blood-related-to ya Peter…But that lady knew-ya better and loved-ya more than almost anyone-else that we know…Better than me even…At times…And she totally adored-ya…Ya know, even after we had split-up and you were-in prison…She never once doubted that you were innocent…And I'm sorry to say that I did…But she would have done anything-to see-you free, sober and happy again and I mean, anything, Peter." Carla said.
"I know…She was a loveable-gem was our Deirdre…" Peter said, rather-fondly-of his late Step-Mother.
"And she'd want-to know that you're going-to stay 100% Sober…The booze just isn't worth-it Peter…" Carla told-him, sensing that he was still tempted.
"I Know…" Peter trailed-off, picking-up the picture that he had been looking-at earlier-on and handing-it to Carla. "Found this earlier…" He mumbled-as she took-it from his hands and looked-down-at the picture.
"Wow…Deirdre looks-so proud-of you…She looks-like she's about-to give-ya one-of those big and slobbery Deirdre Barlow kisses…" Carla quietly giggled.
"She was let-me re-assure-you." Peter said with a light-chuckle. "Such a great look for a newly-recruited soldier…" He said, making Carla laugh.
"Yeah I bet…" Carla trailed-off as she caught eye-contact with Peter.
"I hope I can make-her just as proud-now…" Peter said rather-emotionally as his tears-re-surfaced and started-to fall more freely…
"Of-Course ya can…Look Peter, all ya have-to do is smile and twinkle those dream-boat eyes of yours and that wonderful-lady up-there will be proud-of ya. But don't you dare fall-off the wagon ever-again…Because she'll be on your case…She's watching-over-you, ya know…Even now." Carla re-assured-him, rather-sweetly.
"Yeah…I know she-is…" Peter trailed-off as he cried some-more.
"Listen Peter…At the risk-of this being taken-in completely-the wrong-way…You look-like ya need a hug…And I know that I'm supposed-to be 'Ice-Queen Carla Connor' who hates her Ex-Husband with an absolute-passion…But what kind-of person would I be if I didn't hug someone grieving their Mother hey?!" Carla said softly, walking-around-to Peter's side-of the table and hugging-him tightly.
"Ya didn't have-to…" Peter said-as Carla continued-to hold-him closely.
"Hey, you were there for-me when my Mum died, and I don't care what's happened between-us both Peter…But I need-to return the favour." Carla replied hugging Peter for a couple-of seconds longer, before pulling-away from-him and grabbing-her bag. "Anyways, I best-be-off…"
"Yeah, absolutely…Listen…Thanks Carla…For this…I really-appreciate-it…Especially after everything that's been and gone…" Peter told-her with a genuine-gratefulness in his voice.
"Don't mention-it Peter…And hey…I really hope that you and Sasha can-be truly-happy together…And I mean-that…No messing things-up this-time okay?!" Carla gently-warned-him as they wandered-down the short-corridor together, towards the front-door.
"Thank-You…And look, as much as it pains me to say-it…I'm really glad that you're happy with Nick…But if he hurts-you…Then I want-to throw the first-punch." Peter chuckled.
"You've got yourself a deal there Barlow." Carla said with a cheeky-smirk as Peter opened the front-door for her.
"I'll cya around Carla." Peter told-her softly.
"Not if I see you first." Carla said, winking-at Peter before walking-away.
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