For the entire journey home, Carla asked and asked... and asked Peter what he was talking to Noel and Ian about.

Peter… being Peter made lots of jokes and just wouldn't answer Carla properly.

He messed about and told her that he was sworn to secrecy or that she wasn't to worry but as Carla parked her car outside her white house at almost midnight, she grinned and as she and Peter got out of the car she very smugly said to him,

"Alright then… if ya don't want to tell me what you lot were talking about back there… then I'm afraid ya can't come in…"

"Oh come on…" Peter chuckled, shutting Carla's door and following her up her driveway, towards her front door.

"I'm serious Barlow." Carla nodded firmly, trying to show Peter that she meant business although she was still grinning slightly. "So… are ya gonna tell me or what?"

Peter laughed again at Carla as she stood in front of her doorway with an intrigued and somewhat bossy look on her face.

"And don't even think about making stuff up cause we might not be together anymore but I'll still know if you're lying." Carla said poking Peter with one hand and putting the other one on her hip.

Peter chose to ignore how dreadful it felt to be reminded that he and Carla were no longer an item and decided that he absolutely wanted to go into her house.

He wasn't sure exactly what might happen once he and Carla actually got inside of course… The opportunities were endless really... All he knew was that he definitely didn't want tonight to end... not yet at least.

"Alright…" Peter nodded because Carla was still looking at him with an eyebrow raised and as if she wasn't going to give in. "We were talking about you earlier."

"Oh really…" Carla nodded sarcastically, she folded her arms now and waited patiently for a response even though she was dying to know what Peter, Ian and Noel had to say about her.

"Yes…" Peter nodded again, "But it was only because we were only discussing how amazing you are..."

"Really?" Carla asked, looking at Peter straight in the eye and suddenly not feeling so smug any more.

In fact the way Peter was looking at her right now made her heart race faster than it had done all day.

"Yes really." He nodded slowly, "Ian and Noel were honestly saying how much they… and everyone else for that matter really like you n I was saying they were lucky to ave you… that was it."

Carla didn't say anything this time, She just continued to watch Peter for a moment. She had thought that her new employees seemed to like her but hearing it for herself actually made Carla feel a little proud of herself. She then smiled modestly at Peter before turning to open her front door.

"You better come in then…" She said quietly as she began to walk inside her house. Peter followed her inside and as he closed the door behind him, he took a very deep breath.

He was still counting every blessing he had as he followed Carla into her living room, she sat down onto her sofa and started taking off her heeled boots and as she did so, she smiled at Peter and said,

"I hope you had a good time tonight."

"I did…" Peter nodded, sitting down on the sofa but not directly next to Carla, he left a little space between them even though he was as desperate as ever to get closer to her. "I really did… I hope you had a good night too." Carla nodded at Peter, practically beaming at first as she put her boots to the side of the sofa but very quickly the smile started to fade off her face. "Ere…" He said, going into his pocket and pulling out Carla's watch and handing it towards her. "In case I forget."

"Thanks." She said quietly, she went to take her watch from Peter's hand but their fingers lightly brushed against each other and it made both of them tremble slightly. "Thanks for everything tonight Peter." Carla said quickly to ease the tension that had risen just from a simple touch.

"You are more then welcome." Peter said as Carla stared down at her watch which read that is was almost ten past midnight.

"I'm so glad today's over." Carla said, leaning forwards and put her watch on her coffee table before yawning, "Well… for another three hundred and sixty four days that is..."

Carla knew that even though it wasn't the nineteenth of September anymore, she'd still be cursed with the memory of what happened to her five years ago but she really was glad to see the back of today even though it had held some truly delightful moments.

"I'm gonna get a drink… d'ya want one?" She asked, getting back up off the sofa again.

"Erm… I dunno." Peter said, shrugging, Carla raised an eyebrow at him and walked towards her kitchen where Bailey was snoozing in his basket quietly. "I'll just ave what you're aving yeah?" Peter eventually said, still unsure about what the rest of the night might have in store for him and Carla.

"Okay!" She called from the kitchen, Peter heard her put the kettle on and soon enough, Carla returned from the kitchen with two cups of tea and a packet of custard cream biscuits.

She put both mugs down onto the table along with the biscuits and then she sat back down on the sofa. She didn't leave even half as much space as Peter had done when he had sat down so the sides of their legs were now touching and this secretly pleased Peter because it seemed like Carla was just as eager to get close to him as he was of her.

"Thanks." He said, nodding towards the tea Carla had made, she didn't say anything to him but he could tell by the look on her face that she was deep in thought but after a few moments of silence, Carla did speak.

"I… I don't fancy going to sleep yet…" She softly said, feeling foolish but all the while knowing that Peter would completely understand why she didn't want to go to bed.

"Well that's the beauty of being an adult, you get to choose ya bed time n go to bed whenever you want." Peter replied, making Carla smile at him.

She leant forward and picked up her mug of tea whilst Peter went ahead and tore open the packet of biscuits and even though they spent a few moments in silence, the atmosphere felt completely natural.

Carla leant backwards on the sofa with her cup of tea in hand, she watched Peter for a while longer before she let out a little laugh and said,

"You can take your jacket off y'know." Peter looked down and realised that Carla was right, he was still wearing his jacket.

"Anyone would think you were trying to get me to stick around for a bit." He grinned before biting into a biscuit, "How do ya know I avent got somewhere to be eh?" He joked.

"Well the door's that way if ya do…" Carla smirked, pointing towards her hallway with her free hand, She then looked into her hot cup of tea and said, "I hope not though… I don't want you to leave…" Peter looked at Carla affectionately but she was still staring into her cup sheepishly and then quickly she said, "Besides you might as well stay… I mean it's not as if you're gonna start driving all the way back to Portsmouth now are ya? It's the middle of the night."

"Carla." Peter interrupted, leaning forwards slightly so she'd look back at him. "I'm not going anywhere love n... I don't want to either." Carla let her eyes leave her mug and face Peter again as she alluringly responded with,

"Good."

Peter pulled off his black jacket and hung it on the side of the sofa whilst Carla took a sip of tea, there was another moment of pure silence between the pair before Carla leant forwards and picked up the remote control for her telly.

"Shall we watch a movie?" She asked as she pointed her remote at the screen.

"Yeah why not." Peter said, nodding as he picked up his own cup of tea. He watched as Carla began scrolling through a list of movie channels on her television and when she casually said,

"What do ya fancy then?" He had to bite his tongue so he didn't reply with her as the answer.

Even though it had been years… and even though he'd been with another woman since, Peter had always known that he wasn't over Carla but somehow, just sitting next to her in her living room, watching her do such normal things only made him realise just how much he was still in love with her.

"Something funny." Peter eventually replied, deciding that Carla would probably need some laughs tonight. She nodded at him in agreement and said,

"Yeah… good idea."

Carla and Peter ended up settling on the second Inbetweeners movie, which had just started on one of the channels and whilst it had some rather disgusting moments in it, the movie definitely served it's purpose and had Carla and Peter both laughing out loud many many times.

After the movie had finished, Carla got up to take the empty biscuit packet and tea cups to the kitchen, she yawned as she did so and it was then that Peter took a look at a fancy black and white clock which was hung up on the wall opposite him.

"Wait, is that really the time?" He asked, staring because it was now two o'clock in the morning and he could hardly believe it.

"Well we did get back ere at midnight Peter." Carla said from the kitchen, she had begun washing up the cups when Peter walked into her kitchen silently and smiled at Bailey who looked extremely comfortable in his brown basket, which was in the corner.

"Still…" Peter said, leaning on the counter next to Carla at the sink. "It feels like that movie just flew by." Carla went to say something but yawned instead and of course, her yawn was contagious so Peter yawned right after her.

"Oh you copy cat." She teased, giving Peter a nudge with her elbow as she finished washing up their mugs. Once she was done she turned to Peter and wondered what should happen next.

"So…" They both said simultaneously.

Carla shook her head amused as Peter chuckled quietly and eventually said,

"You first."

"No, You." Carla said before yawning again.

"I was gonna say… what happens now?" Peter said awkwardly, he put his hands in his pockets mainly because he had nowhere else appropriate to put them and watched Carla who looked down at her feet and then tucked some of her hair behind one of her ears. "I mean… as much as I could stay up all night with you… I reckon you could probably do with getting some sleep."

"Yeah…" Carla sighed nodding before she looked back at Peter. "I could do with some sleep… although I don't reckon I'll get it though…"

"I know it's hard but Carla you've got to try and remember that you're safe now." Peter said, "Remember that today was a celebration of how far you've come."

Carla nodded at Peter because she knew he really was trying to help with his words, She folded her arms stiffly because there was something that she really wanted from this situation and she had to swallow hard before she had gathered up the courage to ask,

"Will… you... stay?" She was watching Peter with so much hope that he could hardly bare to keep her waiting too long for a response.

"Of course." He casually replied, although his heart was practically doing somersaults from being asked to stay.

As if he would say no.

Carla's face went from looking hopeful to looking delighted and she unfolded her arms before saying,

"Thanks."

There was then another not so comfortable silence as the thought of where exactly Peter would be sleeping suddenly crossed both of their minds.

Carla's throat went dry and her heart began to pound at the thought of inviting Peter upstairs with her and whilst she knew it wouldn't be a good idea to do so, she let her mind wonder for a few seconds before she heard Peter say,

"I'll get myself cosy n the sofa okay?" Carla hid her disappointment and went to say sorry but Peter was already ahead of her and shook his head, "It's fine… honestly… I wouldn't ave it any other way."

"Really?" Carla replied with a hint of sarcasm and as she spoke one of her immaculate eyebrows rose perfectly.

"Well…" Peter began, unable to stop himself from smirking suggestively at Carla who slowly sauntered past him towards her living room. "Let's just say for tonight at least... I plan on being a gentlemen."

"Is that right?" Carla replied, turning around to see that Peter had followed her into her dimly lit living room. "I didn't actually know you were capable of being a gentlemen."

"Oi." Peter said although he knew Carla was joking.

"I'm kidding… Although the comment about you taking all your clothes off for me earlier wasn't exactly gentlemanly was it?" Carla teased, with her hands on her hips.

"Eh n who was it who started that whole conversation may I ask?" Peter replied with half a chuckle.

"I were just being a good hostess and trying to please my customers…" said Carla.

"Yes well you did a good job of that…" Peter said, still amused as Carla looked down at the sofa guilty. "Honestly Carla… the sofa is going to be fine."

"You sure?" Carla said, looking serious for a moment but then grinning wickedly at Peter before saying, "I wouldn't want it to mess up your back or out… I mean you are getting on a bit."

"Oh charmin." Peter nodded with a wide smile because he had missed how much Carla used to tease him about his age. She looked at him smugly as he gave the sofa a proper once over and then said, "Seriously though, I promise I'll be absolutely fine, I've never been on a more comfortable sofa." He threw himself down on it comically and nodded up at Carla who stood before him and then shook her head.

"At least let me get you a few pillows off me bed." She said even though there were cushions on the sofa already.

Before Peter could answer her she was off in a flash, upstairs and gathering up two of the six pillows she slept with.

She then went off to one of the cupboards she had her upstairs hallway and pulled out a brand new duvet that hadn't even been used yet.

"Ere we are…" She said, practically chucking the two pillows and duvet at Peter at the same time.

"Cheers." Peter replied pulling the duvet off his head and smiling at an amused Carla who folded her arms again. "I'll be fine... I swear." He said, wondering if the look Carla had on her face now was because she felt bad for him having to sleep on the sofa.

"I know you will…" She said gently and within an instant Peter knew what was wrong.

"Listen I'm only gonna be down ere, so if you need me… for anything… just come n get me… give me a shout…" Peter began but Carla shook her head and started to say,

"No… I'll probably be fine, I'm just being-"

"I mean it." Peter said firmly, standing up and looking at Carla so intensely that she nodded at him. "If for any reason you wake up… if you ave the nightmare again.. I'm ere for you Carla… I'd hate to know I were down ere fast asleep whilst you were upstairs and in need of someone. Okay?"

"Okay." She nodded again and she let her body linger in front of Peter before she gathered up the strength to put both arms around him.

Peter pulled her towards him in the very next second and with one hand in her long hair he said a very quiet but very heartfelt,

"Night Carla."

"Night Peter." She replied and when she pulled away she left Peter with a soft but oh so powerful kiss on his right cheek.

Carla didn't give him a chance to respond. She left the room quickly because she felt rather embarrassed for kissing Peter like that. She quietly ran upstairs and went into her bathroom to start taking off her make up and get into her pyjamas, whilst Peter sat back down on his bed for the night and touched the place on his cheek where Carla had kissed him.

He would never have believed a single soul if they had told him he'd be in this position right now and as he put the pillows Carla gave him on the end of the sofa, he thanked his lucky stars that he had made the decision to visit her today.

It was only when Peter let his head hit the black pillow that Carla had brought down for him that he realised that she had actually given him a pillow from her own bed… the one she sleeps in… alone every night.

He could instantly smell her… vividly so.

The scent he could smell right now was the same one he took in when they had hugged just moments before and Peter breathed in so he could smell Carla's warm and wonderfully familiar trace once again.

It was at that point Peter knew that tonight he'd either get loads of sleep… or hardly any at all.

Carla switched off her bathroom light and walked into her bedroom with as many positive thoughts in her head as possible before getting into bed.

She got under her covers with the feeling of Peter's embrace on her mind and soon her thoughts turned to how it felt to have his beard brush against her cheek for those couple of seconds that she had kissed him in.

Carla hoped that if she continued to think all about Peter that she'd have a peaceful nights sleep or an okay one at best but unfortunately, that didn't happen

Peter was awoken at three forty am by the feeling of someone gently shaking him.

His first reaction was to just ignore it because he was still half asleep and he hadn't exactly thought about where he was right now but when his arm was shaken again and he felt her hands tighten their grip, Peter's eyes suddenly opened.

Carla was stood above him and as Peter had left the living room lights dimmed, he could see that the woman stood before him had tears in her eyes.

He sat up immediately as she sniffed hard and wiped her eyes as she managed to get out.

"Peter…"