Thanks for the reviews guys! Here's the next-chapter…

The next-morning, over-in Canada, Peter was awake very-early, unable to sleep after his phone-call with Michelle the previous-night. If Carla wasn't coping without-him, then that surely meant that he needed-to fly-home-to be with her?!

Adam walked-into the living-room that morning and nudged Peter, who was daydreaming.

"Hey You, cheer-up." Adam chuckled, joining his Uncle on the sofa. "It can't be that bad."

"Owh trust-me fella it really-is…" Peter trailed-off sadly.

"Wait…You were as happy as Larry yesterday…What's happened?!" Adam asked-him worriedly.

"Michelle rang-me last-night…It's Carla…She's not coping without-me…I need-to be with her Adam…" Peter said, feeling tearful purely at the very-thought-of his beloved Wife falling-apart whilst he wasn't around-to look-after-her.

"Mate, I really don't think that's such a good-idea…" Adam warned-him softly.

"Well why the hell not?! She stuck-by me 100% when I wasn't coping a few-years back…And maybe now it's time that I returned the favour…" Peter said.

"Peter…The difference is, is that when you were struggling…Carla wasn't the problem. Leanne was. But if you go back over-there now…Ya won't want-to come-back Pal…And then before ya know-it…You'll be back-to square-one again…" Adam advised-his Uncle sensibly.

"But I've gotta-go back-at some-point…So why not now?! When my Wife needs-me the most?!" Peter argued.

"Because Peter…Your Wife doesn't need-you to be by her side right-now…But what she does need-is for her Husband to fully-recover from everything that's gone-on in the past year or so…And you're not there yet Mate…" Adam told-him gently.

Over-In Weatherfield, Carla was still-at Michelle's. She was sat-on the sofa out-the-back-of the Rovers as Michelle brought-her a cup-of coffee.

"How are you feeling today?!" Michelle asked-Carla, joining-her on the sofa, placing both-of their mugs-of coffee onto the table that was just infront-of them.

"In need-of a cuddle…" Carla trailed-off sadly.

"Well come-here then…I can give-ya a cuddle…" Michelle said, putting-an arm around her friends' shoulders, she wanted-to help in anyway that she possibly could.

"No not from you!" Carla said, shrugging-her friend away from-her. "From my man…"

"Owh Babe…Listen…Steve had a bit of a genius idea last-night…" Michelle began.

"Owh…Had a brain transplant has he?!" Carla said rather-sarcastically.

"Haaa. Haaa." Michelle replied. "No he suggested something which means that you could have more communication with Peter…"

"Carry-On…" Carla urged-her.

"Well, it wouldn't be good for Peter for him to come-back-here just yet…And we don't think it's a good-idea for you to fly-out there right-now…Because the both-of you need some space from each-other until Peter has fully-recovered…But you could both Skype every-night?! That way, not only would-ya get to speak-to Peter…But you'd also get to see his face…And he'd get to see yours and hear your voice…And we just thought that maybe that might help-ya not-to miss-him so much?!" Michelle kindly suggested-to Carla.

"Owh 'Chelle that's such a great-idea…Thank-You!" Carla said gratefully, leaning-into hug her friend tightly.

Back-In Canada, and Peter was now at his Counselling Session with Lindsay.

"So how have you been this-week then Peter?!" Lindsay asked-him softly.

"I've been alright I suppose…" Peter trailed-off, still worried about Carla.

Lindsay sensed Peter's slightly off-mood but thought that she would continue anyway…

"Anymore letters from your Wife?!" Lindsay asked-him positively.

"No…" Peter Replied.

"Something on your mind?!" Lindsay questioned, they had been making such good-progress over the last-few weeks, but now he was all closed-up, and she wondered-why.

"It's my Wife…Carla…She's really struggling without-me back-at home…" Peter confided-in his Counsellor.

"Owh…Well I recognise that-that must be tough-on you, Peter, aswell as Carla…What are you thinking-of doing?!" Lindsay asked-him.

"Well I wanted-to go back-home again to be with-her…But…my Nephew…Adam…Well, he doesn't think that it would be such a good-idea…Me going-home right-now that is…" Peter admitted-to Lindsay.

"Well I'm afraid that your Nephew is most-probably right Peter…You've come a long-long-way ever-since I first-met-you…But there's still a long-way to go yet my friend…If you were to go-back home-now…The chances are that you would-be drinking-again within a month…" Lindsay told-him truthfully.

"And what about Carla, huh?! What's she meant-to do?! Just carry-on suffering without-me?!" Peter panicked.

"I'm sure that you're Wife has friends back-at home Peter…" Lindsay tried-to re-assure-him.

"Well yeah she does-but…"

"Deep Breaths…Remember?!" Lindsay reminded-him, and Peter did-as he was told.

"I need-to speak-to Carla, Lindsay…I need-to know that she's okay…" Peter trailed-off sadly.

Later-on that day and Peter and Carla had arranged-to Skype each-other. It was now the evening in Weatherfield, and Carla was sat-up in bed with her duvet wrapped around her as she awaited Peter's Skype Call.

Over-in Canada, it was still the mid-afternoon and Peter was sat-at the dining-table in Adam's Flat. Adam had agreed to go-out and leave the couple-to it as he didn't want either-of them to feel that him being there was awkward at-all. Peter took a deep-breath-in before nervously pressing the call-button on his laptop. This was going-to be the first-time he'd have seen Carla's Face since he left her at the airport to fly-to Canada…He already felt like crying and they hadn't even seen each-others faces yet.

As the Skype Call connected, a comfortable silence hit the two of them as they just stared-at each-other through their individual screens, tears immediately filling both-of their eyes.

After a couple-of minutes, Peter was the first-to speak-up.

"Hiya Baby." Peter said, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Hiya…" Carla replied rather-quietly.

"Are you okay?!" He asked-her softly.

"Yeah I'm Fine…" She trailed-off, her voice cracking from the tears that were threatening-to fall from her eye-lids any-second now…

"Yeah I'll believe that when I see-it…Anyway, how have you been?!" Peter asked-her.

"I've been okay…Ya know…Life's just toddling-along as it always does in Weatherfield…The Factory's doing-okay…The girls are as chatty as usual…" Carla said, looking-down as she did-so, toying with her hands.

"The girls haven't been through what you have…" Peter told-her truthfully.

"What dya mean?!" Carla asked-him.

"I broke your heart Carla…The drinking, the affair, prison, the hospital visit, the murder trial…You can put-on a brave face all ya like…But I'm not stupid…And it doesn't take a genius to work-out that you're not really okay at all…" Peter told-her honestly.

"You know me so well…" Carla told-him, still speaking extremely quietly, and refusing to look-up at the screen, but instead, picking at her fingernails and playing with the ends-of her long-hair.

"Talk-to me Baby…Look-at me…" Peter tried-to encourage-her. "Carla…"

"I'm Scared Peter…" Carla admitted, however, still not looking-at Peter.

"What are ya scared-of?!" Peter asked-her gently.

"Nooo it's stupid…" Carla said.

"Baby, tell-me…Tell-me what you're scared-of…" Peter softly urged-her-on.

"I'm scared…I'm scared that if I look into your eyes I'll see a different-man to the one I fell-in love with…I'm scared that all I'll be able to see is Tina and what ya both did-to me, all over again…" Carla said as a few-tears began-to fall-down her cheeks.

"Owh Baby…" Peter sighed, not knowing what else to say. "Listen to me Carla, I'm not gonna pretend that I'm glad that Tina's dead…Because I'm not…I was devastated when I heard the news…I never loved the girl, but I did care about-her…But her being gone means that when I get back-to the UK, to Weatherfield, it means that we can start afresh, with there being no threat of her coming-back-to ruin it all for us…Are you with me?!" Peter asked-her softly.

"Yeah I agree…A fresh start is what we all need…" Carla agreed with Peter.

"I'm so sorry for all the hurt that I've caused-ya Car…" Peter told-her sincerely.

"Don't Be…" Carla trailed-off nervously.

"No I mean-it Carla…I love-you…And I flew-out here to Canada to prove-to you that I can change…That I can be a better-man…A better Husband…A better Dad…" Peter told-her rather-passionately.

"But I've heard-it all before Peter…" Carla sighed.

"I know that ya have…You've heard-it a million-times-over…Especially from me Love…But things are gonna-be different this time…And that I can absolutely promise-ya Carla…" Peter told-her, trying-to convince the love-of his life to keep-on holding-on for him.

"But how can ya promise that Peter…I mean, you're an alcoholic…That's not just something that can be fixed…The way your mind works…You can't change that…If you wanna go-off with another woman again Peter, then nothing's gonna stop-ya from making this mess all over again…" Carla told-him really quite firmly, clearly quite distressed-by this whole conversation as she ran her hands through her hair.

"I know that I'm a mess Carla…And I'm probably a complete train-wreck to live with…And I know that I'm still in recovery, and I probably always will-be…But something clicked-inside-of me whilst I was in prison…Something changed…I wouldn't be here-in Canada right-now if things had carried-on the way they were…Infact, I probably wouldn't even be alive…" Peter said.

"I don't even wanna think about that right-now Baby…" Carla told-him, unable to comprehend the thought-of Peter being-on his death-bed only a matter-of months ago.

"Okay fine…But I need-you to stay strong for me Carla…I can't do this without-ya…" Peter pleaded with her as they both began-to cry.

"I just wanna hold-ya Baby, but I can't…" Carla told-him truthfully, sniffling-in her tears as she did-so.

"And I want nothing-more than to take-you into my arms and cuddle you until I see that beautiful-smile-of yours again…But the fact is, is that we can't Baby…This is just the way that it has to be…For the time-being anyway…" Peter trailed-off rather-sadly.

"I love-ya so much Baby…And despite everything, despite the sleepless nights I've had thinking about you and Tina in this bed together…And despite the countless thought's I've had about every single time that you must have lied-to me…I still haven't forgotten that you supported-me through the darkest-time in my life…You were there when no-one else-was…When I had lost all hope…Ya saved my life for goodness-sake! And so I want-to do the same for you now Peter…Because I love-ya…And I'm gonna get you through this…I will get ya through this Baby…" Carla told-him, wiping-away the tears and speaking confidently for the first-time in what felt-like forever.

"Carla…Don't ever feel like you have to repay-me…" Peter said.

"I don't feel like i have-to repay-you…Peter…I'm doing this because I love-you more than my life's even worth…Because, despite all-of your flaws and your faults…I can still see the decent, loving and caring man that's still-in there somewhere…He saved-me once…And that kind-of love doesn't just disappear or fizzle-out…It just gets hidden-by other-things…But now it's time to bring that love back-out Baby…" Carla told-him seriously, but confidently.

"Flippin' 'Eck Carla, ya sound-like Lindsay, my counsellor…" Peter chuckled.

"Well I hope Lindsay doesn't tell-ya that she loves-ya more than her life's worth!" Carla Joked.

"Lindsay's been a great-help-to me…But she's not you Carla. You're beautiful…Even through a laptop-screen…And I love-you more than ever…" Peter told-her sweetly.

"I love you too Baby." Carla replied-to him softly. "Anyway Trouble…I best-be getting-off to bed…I'm exhausted." She told-him truthfully.

"Okay then…Goodnight Love…Sleep Well…I Love-You." He replied with before ending the Skype-Call.

Carla went-to sleep that night feeling like a weight-had been lifted from her shoulders, she felt so much more safe and settled now that she had spoken-to Peter face-to-face…Well, via Skype anyway…

Elsewhere, Peter had now shut-down his laptop and had pulled his little-picture-of Carla out-of his wallet, it was the exact-same-picture-of her that he had kept with him during his time-in prison. "I really really love-you Carla." Peter whispered-to the small-photo, kissing-it softly before going-to make himself a hot-drink…

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Coming-Up Next…

- Feeling Better, Carla agrees to spend the day with Simon.

- Peter confides-in Adam about his worries over his relationship with Carla…