Just a reminder to everyone that is reading, that the characters and settings are just like now on the street with a few tweeks.

Johnny and Jenny live in and run the rovers.

Michelle runs the bistro with Robert - it's still called that just because it's easier.

Kate is single but lives with Johnny in the rovers.

Aiden is still alive but has the flat he lived in.

Rob is around.

A couple of days later Simon was allowed home. He chose to stay at number one as it was closer to everyone and had a bedroom downstairs that he could recover in, Peter was collecting him mid morning.

"Good morning love" Peter said as Carla opened her eyes. Carla had gone back to her own flat, the day after Simon's stabbing. Peter had joined her so she wasn't alone.

"Why didn't you wake me" Carla asked "I could have been there for you"

"Carla the more you sleep the bigger that baby gets" Peter said kissing her forehead.

"That's not how it works Peter" Carla giggled at his lame excuse.

"I couldn't sleep so didn't want to wake you" Peter said "only one of us needs to worry"

This bought Carla back to her conversation with Michelle, about not being connected to Simon. A blank expression came across Carla's face.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked noticing straight away.

"Nothing baby" Carla said getting out of bed.

"Carla come on" Peter said jumping out of bed himself, making his way round the bed to her.

"It's nothing Peter honestly, you get ready and bring our Simon home" Carla said leaving the bedroom to enter the bathroom.

She could go into labour anytime now and wasn't quite sure how she felt about it. Whilst Peter was collecting Simon, Carla rang Michelle and Kate to invite them round for a chat.

"Hello, come in" Carla said when she opened the flat door to Michelle and Kate.

The three women took a seat on the sofa.

"Anyone want a drink? I've just boiled the kettle" Carla said starting to get up off of the sofa but struggling a little.

"I'll do it" Kate said.

"It's a little hard for me to move these days" Carla said.

"It's all exciting though" Michelle said.

Kate returned with a tray of tea for everyone.

"Any day now" Kate said taking her mug.

"I know don't remind me" Carla said slowly.

"You'll be fine" Michelle said "as soon as the baby is here the pain goes away"

"Yes but it's the pain beforehand i'm worried about" Carla said.

"You can do this Carla" Michelle said "you are made of tuff stuff"

"I know, I don't have a choice, the baby has to come out" Carla started "I'm just scared of afterwards"

"What do you mean?" Kate asked.

"Well how am I going to heal, nothing will be the same anymore, body wise, what if Peter doesn't want me anymore"

"Carla, if he wants you now i'm sure nothing will change that" Kate laughed.

"True, i'm as big as a hippo and he still wants to have sex with me" Carla told them "although it's getting more and more difficult, we end up in all sort of positions" she laughed.

"Enough information for your sister, thank you" Kate laughed.

"Not only that, but i will have a baby" Carla said "a real life baby, relying on me"

"You will make a great mum Carla" Michelle said "and there are lots of us to help you"

"I know, I just can't help but think about things like that" Carla told them

"It's normal at this stage" Michelle said.

The three women continued there morning together whilst Peter was arriving at number one with Simon.

"Welcome home Simon" Ken said.

"Thanks grandad"

"He needs all the rest he can get, I will be round every day to check on him.

Peter put all of Simon's stuff in the spare room downstairs whilst he chilled on the sofa. Ken and Leanne were in the kitchen talking about what had happened to Simon.

"Have they caught anyone yet?" Ken asked.

"No they don't know who it was or what they wanted, they think someone saw all the new baby things and tried to steal them but were interrupted by Simon" Leanne huffed.

"But you don't think so" Ken proped.

"No, I don't. I think this is something to do with Carla, anyone that gets close to her dies and I won't let it be Simon, she's dangerous"

Peter was in the front room doorway listening to everything she had just said.

Leanne continued "and the fact that she is going to have a baby soon, worries me deeply, she can barely look after herself let alone a baby, poor thing is better off without her"

"Are you finished?" Peter asked.

"Peter…. I" Leanne tried to explain.

"Don't bother Lee, I know exactly how you feel about Carla but to bring my unborn child into this, no to bring our child into this and blaming Carla for his stabbing is a new low, even for you"

"Peter I was just ranting"

"I don't care what you were doing, I don't want to hear you talking about Carla or my baby, do you understand me"

"Yes Peter"

"I am going now, tell Simon when he wakes up that his mum is a horrible person and said somethings I can't hear anymore, so Ieft before my temper got the better of me"

Peter left number one, furious. He stormed off in the direction of Carla's, with someone trailing him. He was blissfully unaware.

When he arrived home, Kate and Michelle were still there.

The women were putting the world to rights about everything. He entered to the sounds of giggling women.

"Oh hello Peter" Carla said.

He walked over to her and placed a kiss on her head.

"How is Simon?" Michelle asked.

"He is fine. He's home,settled and on track for recovery" Peter told them.

"Good, i'm glad" Michelle said.

"What have you been talking about" Peter asked.

Kate just giggled causing Michelle and Carla to follow in giggles.

"I don't want to know, do I" Peter said standing up and making his way to the kitchen to put the kettle on.

"Girl stuff baby" Carla told him.

Peter made himself a cup of tea and sat down with the girls.

"Leanne just made me so angry, she was saying some things about you" Peter started.

"Like what?" Michelle asked a little angry.

"Nothing really, I shot her down" Peter said "But I wanted to tell you in case she said something to you"

"What was she saying Peter?" Carla asked him sadly.

"Honestly it was nothing"

"I don't think it was or you would tell us" Carla said.

"She was blaming you for Simon" Peter said angrily, that he had even brought it up.

"How dare she" Michelle said "Carla wasn't even anywhere near the stabbing.

"I told her to stop talking the moment she said anything" Peter said to a quiet Carla.

"Well she has a cheek, i'll have her next time I see her" Kate said.

"No, leave her, she can say what she likes about me" Carla said "I don't care, she's always going to hate me"

"But she can't bad mouth you Carla" Michelle said.

"Anyway how are you and the little one feeling today" Peter asked, changing the subject..

"She's worried about giving birth, and that you won't find her sexy after that" Kate spilled.

"Kate" Carla scolded.

"Are you serious" Peter asked.

"It was more the giving birth thing, it's going to hurt" Carla said trying to get him to forget the first part.

"Carla, I will be there the whole time"

"I know, we were just being silly" Carla said.

An hour or so later, Kate and Michelle had to go.

They were walking back to the Rovers when they saw Leanne come out of number one.

"OI YOU" Kate shouted, marching over to her.

"Kate, stop" Michelle said following quickly.

"How dare you say things about my sister"

"Kate, i'm not in the mood" Leanne rolled her eyes.

"Well I wasn't in the mood to see my sister upset when she was told about you bad mouthing her but I had to deal with it"

"Kate, listen you are new to this situation, me and Carla have never got on, we have always have had a problem and always will"

"She is Simons step mom and carrying his little brother or sister, where is your respect"

"Must have gone when she stole my husband" Leanne said blankly.

"OI You" Michelle said "old news"

"Well Kate needs to get up to speed"

"Kate is up to speed with everything" Kate said sarcastically.

"Well you know that your sister is a lying tart and always has been"

"I'm warning you" Kate said.

"Go on do your worse, I need to get home to my child" Leanne started to walk away but stopped when Kate said,

"Who do you think you are, she hasn't done anything to you"

"You have a lot missing from your Carla Connor history lessons but i'm not in the mood to fill you in right now, so leave me alone" Leanne said trying to walk away but Kate jumped in front.

"Make me" Kate said.

"Kate come on" Michelle said.

"She can't stand there and say these things about Carla"

"She can, and has everyone that comes into contact with your sister ends up broken or dead and I won't let it happen with Simon, I won't"

"What are you talking about" Kate replied in shock that she would stoop so low.

"Paul, Liam, Tony and Frank for starters and that is just the men shes married, or been with, they are all dead"

"No fault of her own" Michelle said.

"How can you stand there and say that" Leanne said to Michelle "both of your brothers"

"Leave it Leanne" Michelle warned.

"I am just not letting Simon get hurt, Peter will end up next, she ruins everything she touches, that baby needs help"

Before Michelle could stop her, Kate had flung for Leanne Knocking her on the floor "say anything about my sister again and i'll have you"

Leanne looked up at her holding onto her bleeding lip in utter shock of what just happened.

Kate took Michelle by the arm and walked away with confidence.

"I can't believe you just did that" Michelle said to Kate "Carla is going to kill you"

"She will understand" Kate said.

The next morning Peter went out for his daily fag, although he promised to give up when the baby comes.

From the distance an angry Leanne was storming over to him.

"You need to have a word with your misses family" Leanne said, sporting a cut lip.

"Why what's going on" Peter asked noticing her lip.

"Kate did this to me yesterday, if it wasn't for Simon needing me I would have reported her but I have no time to make statements and visit police stations" Leanne angrily ranted.

"Well what did you do?" Peter asked taking another drag of his fag, slightly amused.

"That's just typical you, isn't it, when something happens involving Carla, you'll blame me"

"Lee I don't have time for this, I need to go, whatever the problem is you need to sort it" Peter said turning away back into the building.

Leanne stormed back home.

When Peter got back into Carla's front door she was laid on the sofa reading a magazine. He smiled at her.

"That's the last one" Carla said looking over her page at him.

"Carla, I promised when the baby was here I would quit" Peter replied taking a seat on the sofa next to her.

"I know, but I might go into labour at any point and what use are you if you are outside and not with me"

"That may be true Carla but i'm still having one when I want before that, i'm never far away" he said poking her nose, making her scrunch it up.

"I have just seen Leanne" Peter said.

"Why ruin a perfectly good morning, bringing her up" Carla said with a smirk.

"She was sporting a nicely cut lip, courtesy of your sister" Peter told her.

"What?" Carla said shocked "What happened?"

"I don't know I didn't ask, I needed to come up here to see you and get ready for work" Peter started.

"I'll go visit my little sister today then to find out" Carla told him.

"Ok, i'm going to work but I am just on the end of the phone" Peter reassured her "any little pain or niggle and you phone me, ok?" Peter said.

"Yes, Peter" Carla said smiling.

Peter placed a kiss on her lips "I'll miss you"

"Go or you'll be late" Carla said, receiving another kiss from Peter, this time a little more passionate "Peter" Carla giggled in between kisses.

"Ok, i'm going" Peter said reluctantly.

The morning was a fast one for Carla, before she knew it, it was lunchtime. She made her way over to the rovers where she knew Kate would be.

As she walked through the doors of the Rovers it was busy.

Jenny was serving with Johnny and Kate was sat at the bar with Michelle next to her. She had a drink in her hand looking happy.

"Well this looks cosy" Carla said as she slammed her bag on the bar.

"Carla, what are you doing here?" Kate asked.

"Can't I come visit my family without a reason" Carla asked.

"I know you know about Leanne, so say what you have to" Kate said rolling her eyes.

"I have nothing to say about it, i'm glad"

"What"

"She always needs a good smack every now and again" Carla said jokingly "No seriously don't do that again"

"She deserved it" Kate said "she was saying some horrible things"

Kate and Michelle filled Carla in on what happened. They left out the really horrible things she had said as they didn't want to upset her in her state but she got the jist.

A couple of hours later Kate walked Carla home.

"Will you be ok" Kate asked Carla when they got to the front door.

"Yes, Peter should be home soon"

"I'll come in just in case" Kate said "plus I like spending time with you"

The two sisters put on a film and ordered some food, they decided to have a sister evening. Peter was due home any minute but the two women were having a nice time.

Kate and Carla both fell asleep on the sofa.

Outside, Peter was laid on the pavement. He was bleeding from his mouth and had cuts and bruised on his face and arms. It was dark and quiet, the perfect place and time for a planned attack.

It was now close to midnight and Carla awoke to pains in her stomach. She shot up, waking Kate.

"What's going on?" Kate asked.

"Ow, ow, no… no … no" Carla said wincing in pain.

"Ok Carla, breath" Kate said "I'm going to phone an ambulance"

"No, phone Peter" Carla said breathing calmly.

Kate grabbed her phone and tried to phone Peter but it kept going to answerphone.

"He's not picking up"

"Phone Rob" Carla screamed.

Kate was already on the phone to Aiden.

"Carla, Aiden is on his way, where is your hospital bag" Kate asked

"By… the... door" Carla said in between breaths.

It didn't take long for Aiden to be outside with the car. Kate brought down Carla and her bag, whilst she kept trying for Peter.

By this time Kate had also text Michelle to let her know. Kate knew that if Peter couldn't be there that she would want Michelle with her.

When they reached the hospital Carla was rushed into a birthing room. Michelle had arrived just in time and rushed in with her.

"I can't get hold of Peter" Kate told Aiden.

"You don't think he's out drinking do you?" Aiden asked.

A few minutes later, Ken rushed through the doors of the hospital.

"Where is she?" Ken asked.

"She's in there giving birth Ken you can't go in here" Kate said.

"It's Peter, he was found unconscious on the street, he's been attacked" Ken told them "That's why I was here so fast, I was with Peter"

"You can't tell her, you will ruin this moment for her" Kate told him.

"Of course not, but he's not awake yet and I don't want him to miss it" Ken told her.

Johnny made his way to the hospital, he wanted to be there to meet his grandchild, as did Rob.

Everyone was there to meet the new arrival, just not the person Carla wanted most.

'