Chapter 2

"I'll say it again Mum, I need to know what?" Eva asked again

Leanne felt like disappearing into the floor. Eva at some points had the worse sense of timing going. And this was most defiantly one of those times. Leanne had wanted some time to get used to Eva knowing about the mess that was about to descended on her and also prepare herself for the ridicule that undoubtedly Eva would start throwing at her.

"Hello Love, aren't' you supposed to be work?" Stella said smiling at her youngest child.

"Don't skirt around the issue mother, I am here because I left my purse. So what is it that I need to know?"

Stella eyes flitted across to Leanne who was cringing slightly. She hated the situation that Leanne was now in especially as it was caused by her.

"It your sister's choice Eva, she needs to make a decision if you need to be told or not."

"Mum, just tell her." Leanne said gesturing to one of the empty seats at the table inviting Eva to sit down. "Sit down, this may take a while."

Eva walked across to the table and sat down at the chair closest to Stella.

"What's going on Mum? You're worrying me."

"Lea has had some news which has come a bit of a shock. You've heard me talk about Les before love?"

"Yeah, he's Leanne's Dad isn't he? Your old boyfriend."

"Well, he is coming to Weatherfield for a visit soon."

"What about it? There's nothing strange about him wanting to visit his daughter."

"Eva, I never have told you much about what happened between me and Les and the reason why I felt I had to leave; I was unhappy after Leanne was born. Les didn't give a damn at all, I meet someone and went leaving Leanne with him. He despised me for walking away from him that day onwards and when I finally came to my senses and tried to get Leanne back he told me in no uncertainty circumstances what he thought of me" Stella said back trying to explain and justify what was going to happen whilst also omitting certain details.

Eva looked across at Leanne; a look of anger appearing slowly across her features. She had as Leanne feared decided to automatically place the blame on her; even if the situation was not of her causing.

"Oh great one Leanne, your psycho Dad is turning up and I'm guessing now me and Mum are going to live our lives in fear of what is going to do when he see's Mum behind the bar and you referring to her as Mum. Why can't you once and for all stay out of our lives, everything was so much better before you came part of our lives."

Stella was dismayed at what Eva had said as she viewed the look of venom in her face when she looked at her sister. She knew that Eva had not taken the news that she had a sister well and had tried many times to push her way from the family so Eva could have her to herself like it had been through her childhood.

"Eva!" Stella said turning to her face her youngest daughter to look her in the face. Knowing she had to look her in the eye to hammer home the point. "The situation with Les has nothing to do with Leanne. She did not ask to be abandoned by me; she did not ask for mine and Les relationship to fail because I found someone else and she did not ask for me to come back into her life when I did. Those three decisions were all mine no hers! Do not try and shift the blame onto her!"

Stella was getting incensed, the fact of the matter was she had made the situation worse that what it was because of a reckless decision she made years later in regards to Les when she tried to get Leanne back in the 1980's. The one thing she had not shared with either of her two daughters.

"But Mum..."

"But nothing Eva." Stella said jumping in. "I caused the problems and I will face up to them when Les arrives back in Weatherfield. Leave your sister alone and stop automatically blaming everything on her."

Eva was angry, she was still not used to Stella not automatically siding with her since she had found Leanne.

"Do I make myself understood? Les is not going to go after you, his problem is with me!"

"I suppose; so how long is it till he turns up."

Leanne only stayed a few more minutes in the pub before she gave her excuses and left, the most important person in regards to Les's arrival has been told but there was still two more people who needed to told or in one person's case be warned that her Dad was on the way. Her current husband and her ex-husband. Deciding that she wanted to get the bad conversation out the way before telling Nick she headed out of the Rovers door and down to the bookies.

Walking through the door she thankfully saw the bookies completely void of customers which she was glad to see, it would be much easier to have this conversation with just the two of them instead of in a bookies full of punters.

Peter looked up from the counter and started to speak.

What is going on Lea? Is it Si?" Peter asked, tensions were still strained between them and he still loved an opportunity to needle her and nick at every opportunity.

"Si is fine Peter, I have something to tell you or more so warn you."

"Warn me about what? You're not planning to move away again are you again with Si?

"No, Nothing like that. I and Nick are very happy here at the moment. What I need to warn you is that Dad is coming over next week."

"Les Battersby is coming back to Weatherfield. Why did you need to warn me of that? It's not like he's my father."

"Peter, since that last time you saw him. We have got married and divorced and you are with the woman who is the reason we split up. You know how it gets in regards to me!"

"I don't think I've got much too worried about, your Mum is going to get the flak of him worse. Have you told her or are you going to leave it a nasty surprise for her."

"Oh, she already knows. She was the first person I told. And she is in normal fashion taking it all in her stride. Unlike you which seem to be denial about the situation."

"I'm not in denial; I just don't think I have anything to worry about. Les is just all mouth, no way he is going to be coming in here and giving me a slap. You just came in here just so you can have a chance to argue with me."

Leanne turned around in the direction of the door, her back facing Peter. She had barely said two words to him and she already had enough of the atmosphere in the room and his snide comments. She had gone there with the best attentions, to actually give him a friendly warning about her father's appending arrival. She knew that he would have a few words to say to Peter, he had not been a happy man at all when she had told him her marriage to him failing due to the involvement of another woman. But as what seemed to be the naturally way for them now, Peter would always turn it into an argument between them.

"Whatever Peter; I just thought I would give you a friendly warning. Dad is coming to Weatherfield and is definitely going to want more than two words with what has happened between us and you and Carla."

Leanne stormed out of the door letting it slam heavily behind. Making quick work across the cobbles she tried to reconcile her feelings before walking into the Bistro to see her husband.

Tapping lightly on the door she had to only wait a few moments before she heard the key turning in the lock and the sound of the door opening.

Nick smiled while he spotted his wife behind it, opening it a little fuller to allow her in to the building.

"Hello Love." He said leaning down to kiss her lightly on the mouth "I thought you were staying at home this morning to do the paperwork."

"That was the plan, until I got a bit of a surprise via an e-mail that was sent."

"What was the surprise?" Nick said draping his arm over Leanne's shoulder, he had already locked the door to the bistro

Leanne leaned into Nick's embrace

"It was an e-mail from Dad, he is coming to Weatherfield next week for a visit. That's the surprise."

Nick spluttered slightly at that

"Your Dad back in Weatherfield? That was something that I never expect would happen." Nick looked down slightly as his wife as they walked into the main part of the bistro. "Has Stella been told?"

"Yeah, I spoke to Mum already. She is been hard faced about and saying that she is not worried about it all, but I can see that she is but I have a feeling there is something that she is not telling me. Something about her and Dad"

"You're probably right Lea, I'm sure there is a lot more in regards to her relationship with Les crumbling that what she has shared with you. She is probably worrying that seeing Les is going to bring it all back to the surface; that he is going to use what happened between them against her and drive a wedge between you two. That is more than likely what is scaring and worrying her."

"Maybe. Just going to be strange to see both of them on Street. I can't remember ever seeing them together; Mum Left because I had any memories of her in my life, and Dad never showed me or had any photos of her around. And I don't know what is going to do when he finds out that I am lying to him about her and making everyone else do as well."

"Oh Lea." Nick said pulling his wife into a closer embrace.

Whilst Leanne had been going around explaining to the two men in her life that her father was coming to town Stella has been sitting in the backroom of the Rovers just thinking. Stella had forced Eva back to work explaining that she would get the sack if she stayed with her and now she was just stewing.

She had almost knew that this day had to come; once she had got Leanne back in her life she knew she would have to face seeing Les at some point. But even knowing this was still leaving her unprepared for what was going to happen.

Leanne and Eva thought they knew full story which happened between her Les. Her having Leanne at such a young age, Les drinking heavily and pushing bother her and Leanne away. The man she walked out on her oldest daughter for because he made her feel like she was worth a lot more than Les had done.

She loved being a Mother; her girls were her life and especially Leanne was the unattainable person for so much of her life. One of her greatest regrets but she had another one which was so bad but she did gain something so precious for it.

She had told Leanne that she tried so hard to get her back but she hadn't told Leanne exactly when she had tired in case she had worked it out. So she didn't work out what Stella had done to try and get Les to let her have her daughter back. The level she had dropped to try and get her daughter back and the situation she found herself in after that.

But know she had a decision to make.

Should she tell the girls now or wait see if Les would reveal all when he descended into town.

All she knew was the regardless the way it could come out she would end up losing the relationship with either one or both of her daughters.

Taking a deep breath in she mentally pulled herself together to face the day, plastering on a smile to make certain that nobody could see that she was scared.

She heard a tap on the door and the face of her new chef popped out.

"You ready boss?" Mandy asked

"Ready as I can be"

And by that she meant it in more than one way.

The past week had flown past and the day that two residents of the street were dreading was here. The day of Les Battersby's arrival onto Coronation Street, the day which could end up flipping the lives of some of the residents.

Leanne was stood outside the front door of the building which led to her and Nick's flat. She felt exasperated already and he had only been there for half an hour. But as this moment she was desperately trying to wangle her father to not head to the pub.

"Oh, Come on Dad. You've barely been here 5 Minutes; don't you think it is too soon to be heading to the Rovers. And I need to go pick Si up from school soon; I thought you could come with me to get him."

"Oh Lea Love, One quick pint just so I can feel like I am back in Weatherfield. Then we can go pick up Si. Anyway I need to go and check out the landlady of the bar; for what I've been told she is quite a looker."

Leanne let out a sigh and followed quickly behind Les who was striding purposefully to the pub, praying silently that her Mum wasn't behind the bar at the moment in time and that she had decided to step out or was out in the Rovers back room.

They quickly got to the front door of the Rovers and Leanne tried one more time to stop him.

"Why don't we go to the Bistro instead? You won't have to pay for a drink there considering Nick owns it."

"A pint doesn't cost that much Love, and the Rovers was my Local. So a quick drink here and then if you really want to show of this Bistro we can go after we get Simon. Now come on Love, your old Dad will buy you a drink for old times' sake." Les said pushing the door of the Rovers open spying the back of the blonde barmaid standing behind the bar near the optics.

"I'll have a pint; and what every my daughter wants. "He said

Stella started her sentence before she turned around.

"Sure thing Love, and for you?" She said automatically, before her eyes settled on the woman he was referring to when she turned around, her daughter. Her eyes flittered up and spotted the man next to her.

Whilst she was reconciling the man in front of her being Les, he was as well. Stella was aware that she was going to see him at some point but for Les it was a shock and he was trying to persuade his mind that the person who was in front of him was not who he thought it was. But he was fitting a losing battle, he knew exactly who she was and he was not happy to see her larger in life right in front of him.

"Stella" He said his voice dripping with venom, all the old feelings from the past bubbling up.

Stella stepped closer, standing right next to the bar.

"Hello, Les. It has been a very long time." She said smiling slightly.

Les was getting angrier as the seconds went on. He had quickly realised that everyone, Leanne including had been actively lying to him. Stella had been there for a long time by the way she was so comfortable and he knew it. And he especially knew that Leanne was aware who Stella was by the way Leanne had tried to stop him going to the Rovers only moments ago which now seemed like a lifetime.

"Stella" He said once more as stood forward and stood right in front of her. His face right in hers. "What the hell are you doing her you bitch?"