To say Carla was shocked when she saw Peter again was an understatement. She knew through her contact with Roy that he was back on the street, yet somehow, she didn't expect to bump into him as soon as she did.
He really did look well, and very content with his life, he had that little bounce his step that always disappeared when he was stressed or down. But Carla could see straight through that...It may have been a few years, but Carla knew Peter, and as he wandered away she just knew that something was up. There was just something in his eyes, that innocent puppy look...And it was certainly more than just the shell shock from seeing her again...
Later on that evening, Carla had finally managed to escape the clutches of her family and Roy for a while and so she headed out to enjoy some time by herself. As much as she loved being around her family again, she already missed the freedom of doing what she wanted, when she wanted.
She was just heading past the Rovers when she spotted Peter coming out of the pub looking a bit fed-up with life as he sighed heavily.
"Cheer Up it can't be that bad." Carla said, shooting Peter a friendly smile as she walked over to him.
"Owh I dunno, it sometimes feels like it." Peter replied, quite downcast.
"Ah there it is, the same old Peter Barlow whine." Carla teased.
"Hey that's not fair you have no idea what's going on in my life at the moment." Peter defended himself.
"Then tell me." Carla told-him calmly.
Peter paused and looked-at Carla for just a moment.
"N-n-nooo I don't think that's such a good idea Carla do you?!" Peter questioned nervously, wanting to stay loyal to Toyah and knowing just how easily he could fall back into Carla's arms. Especially when she was being so kind to him when he hardly deserved-it from her.
"Well, don't say I didn't offer." Carla said as she began to walk away.
Peter watched her get further and further away and frowned sadly.
"Carla wait!" He suddenly called-out.
Carla stopped-in her tracks and turned around.
"What is it?!" Carla asked-him softly.
Peter walked-over to her. "So how have you been anyway?!" He asked with a small smile.
"Ahhh, I could be better, I could be worse, ya know?!..." Carla trailed-off as they walked along the Street together, past the flat which they once lived-in together.
"Yeah I know...Listen, I don't know how Toyah will feel about you being back." Peter gently warned-her.
"Yeah I am aware of that. But she needn't worry, I've not come back to steal-ya...Far from it. Look Peter, I'm here to see my family over Christmas, but there's no reason why we can't be friendly is there?! I mean, the past is in the past and all of that cheesy rubbish." Carla giggled. "No going back."
"Yeah...I'd really like that Carla..." Peter replied.
"So, now that I've cheered you up a little bit...Dya wanna tell-me what's wrong or not?!" Carla asked.
"Truth is Carla I came outside to stop myself from drinking..." Peter trailed-off sadly as they walked along together.
"Owh Peter...Another drink could kill-ya, come-on you know that." Carla told-him, sympathetically but firmly at the same time.
"Yeah I know that Carla...But it's been a tough old Christmas." Peter said.
"Why?! What's going on?" Carla asked.
"It's Susan...I recently found-out a bit more about her death...And how she could have survived...I also discovered that Susan's death is the reason I'm an alcoholic." He confided-in his ex-wife, becoming tearful he did-so.
"Owh Peter...I'm sorry..." She replied-as they stopped walking and stood opposite each-other as she comfortingly stroked his arm, he had always been sensitive about his Mum's and his Sister's deaths, so she knew that this would have hit him particularly hard.
"It's okay...I just don't feel like I can hold it all in for much longer." Peter said, his breathing heavy as his chest tightened and he became close to tears.
"Then talk to Toyah." Carla encouraged-him.
"No Carla, you don't understand, you don't understand what I did..." Peter cried, thinking-of what had happened with Billy.
"Peter, come-on you're talking-in riddles now. Whatever it is, you need to tell Toyah okay?!" Carla told-him firmly.
"I know, I know I do, but I'd be risking everything if I told her, my whole future, my unborn child, my livelihood...It's all with Toyah." Peter said.
"But you're risking all of that by not telling her..." Carla warned-him. "Come on Peter, you know what lies did to our relationship...And yours and Leanne's for that matter...But you can break that cycle with Toyah...And this is your chance to do just that Peter." Carla said.
"Alright...I'll try okay?! Peter replied. "But right now, Adam needs me. This stuff about Susan has messed him up too."
"Poor Lad..." Carla trailed-off.
"He tried to take an overdose." Peter confided. "He's okay tho...Luckily, he just passed-out briefly before Daniel found-him."
"Then you really do need to be with him. Go and be with your nephew Peter." Carla said, completely calmly. Peter could see how much calmer she was nowadays, and how she seemed-so much more level-headed than she had been ever before. He liked seeing this side-of Carla. He really did.
"Wait, we haven't talked about you...I really am rubbish at this "being friendly" thing aren't I?!" Peter frowned.
"Ah we can talk about me another time, now go and be with Adam." Carla told-him.
"But there might not be another-time, it if you're only here for Christmas." Peter worried.
"Peter!" Carla said with a laugh as she raised her voice slightly-at him. "Stop this, we've both got more important things to worry about. Especially you, now off ya go." Carla said and Peter finally walked-off towards Adam's flat.
As she watched-him go, Carla smiled. He was a decent man deep-down, but she just so wished that she could help him. It wasn't her place anymore though, and she had to remember that. Besides, she had other priorities nowadays...
Meanwhile, Peter was just heading over to Adam's flat, but he couldn't stop thinking about Carla. There was clearly something-up with her that she wasn't going-to talk-to him about. But she once would have and this upset Peter a little-bit. However, Peter also had other priorities at the moment...And as he rang the bell for Adam's flat he took a deep breath-in and out and tried-to out Carla to the back-of his mind for a little-while...But that was easier said than done...