Carla never thought in a million years that when she revealed her marriage to Peter she would be sat in the bistro having lunch with Michelle again, things went well the last time they met, Carla felt like they were finally building bridges but whether Michelle was being genuine was something to be seen, but Carla went along with it anyway. They were back talking about their men, Michelle still intrigued over the hold Peter Barlow had over Carla Connor, but either way she had her best friend back, likewise for Carla.
"No way he didn't!" Michelle exclaims, with a laugh shaking her head in utter amusement
"He did, I said 'Peter darling I understand you're getting old but, you left the milk out the fridge' put it like this, he was not happy, then guess what?"
"What, I can't imagine he enjoyed you calling him old?"
"I told him to get another pint, I go to move the carton of cereal whilst he was out, you know to have some breakfast-"
"Then what-"
"Then I was picking away at the cereal realising it was stale, turns out Peter left the flap of the box open therefore-"
"It went stale, from the day before!"
"Definitely convinced men will never learn!" Carla cackles in hysterics Michelle rolling her eyes laughing along as well
"I bet he didn't get any action…" Michelle mutters
"No, we haven't done anything in a few days because I need to pick up a new prescription, you know"
"Ah, so baby making, still off the cards?" Michelle questions, raising an eyebrow
"Yeah I just don't know if I'm digging around in the back of my mind for excuses"
"Tell me your excuses then, I will see if they're plausible"
"Well I don't want to be bringing up a baby in a pub-"
"That's a lie"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Steve brought Amy up in a pub, I was going to bring Ruairi up in a pub, Ryan was bought up in a pub for a while"
"I guess. My kidney, I haven't had that for long I'm sure that will add complications" Carla sighs as Michelle takes her hand
"Ok, that's true I guess" Michelle smiles as Carla looks at her biting her lip "Peter still wants a baby though, I'm guessing?"
"He does, I can tell he wants one, it's just me standing in the way of his dreams" Carla mutters as Michelle shakes her head sighing
"Carla it's your body and if you don't want a baby you don't have to have one-"
"What if he resents me, 'Chelle?"
"He won't, he loves the bones off you, there are other ways you could go about it, if you didn't want to carry a baby" Michelle states thinking that was why Carla was scared of becoming pregnant because of her previous miscarriage
"I don't know, we can't exactly adopt can we, Peter's an alcoholic, that'll go down great with the social" Carla mutters as Michelle nods in agreement
"Surrogacy?" Michelle questions as Carla sighs tilting her head to one side, picking up her glass of lemonade swirling it around before drinking the delicious consistency
"Same issue isn't it, what surrogate is going to want to be paired with us, Peter's alcoholism, my suicide attempts it all adds up, doesn't it?"
"Not unless you ask a family member…"
"I can't exactly turn around to someone and say 'will you be my human incubator for nine months' that's not fair" Carla retorts as Michelle laughs at her phrase shaking her head
"What if I do it?" Michelle offers as Carla bursts out laughing, Michelle frowning
"Oh you're being serious, I thought you weren't…" Carla bites her lip as Michelle smiles taking Carla's hand
"Look, I know I have basically said I don't want to carry another baby not since…but I will do this for you if you want me to"
"I can't ask you of that Michelle, I appreciate it but after everything you went through with Ruairi I wouldn't be able to go through with it…you'd have to hand that baby back to me I wouldn't have the strength to ask you of that"
"Ok, look at least think about it, are we hitting the shops then?" Michelle questions diverting the subject as Carla sighs grabbing her coat and bag as they both make their way to the car
"Carla, look the offer still stands-" Michelle starts as Carla drives to the shopping centre
"No Michelle, I can't, look like I said I appreciate the offer but I can't ask you to do that" Carla states abruptly as Michelle sighs, wishing Carla would just admit that she wanted the same as what Peter wanted instead of being so stubborn
"Right where we heading first?" Michelle grins checking her purse to see if she still had her bank card
"Let's head to Next or something, I need a new frock-"
"You always need a new frock" Michelle mutters as Carla whacks her playfully on the arm as they head into Next
"Do you think this suits me?" Carla questions holding up a sophisticated burgundy red dress, lace embroidered on the top of it
"I love that" Michelle drools over the dress as Carla nods biting her lip
"Me too, they do it in purple" Carla gasps as she spots it on the rack "This is the one, I love this deep purple colour"
"That one suits you more, hey maybe we should get the same one, I get the red you get the purple" Michelle grins as Carla frowns
"Not happening, that'll be well awkward you can get the red I'll look for something else" Carla grins as Michelle laughs taking the red dress and putting it in the basket
"Oh look at this little number, 'Chelle" Carla gasps as Michelle bursts out laughing, Carla turning to face her, frowning
"What?"
"That's a bit slutty isn't it?" Michelle suggests to the short black skirt which was on the bottom half of the skirt as well as the neckline which consisted of no straps so plenty of cleavage would be on show
"Peter like's slutty, and I mean if you look this good, why not flaunt it" Carla grins loading it into the basket as Michelle laughs in the hysterics
"You're so vain"
"I am not vain!"
"Ok if you say so, whatever you wear looks amazing anyway, I don't know why you brought me along to be honest" Michelle grins as Carla ruffles Michelle's hair as she swats Carla's hand away
"Oi! You've ruined my hair I look a mess now" Michelle mutters getting her pocket mirror out of her bag
"Look who's being vain now" Carla smirks as Michelle glares at her before they both burst into uncontrollable laughter as Carla glances around the shop to find the tills
"Seriously?" Carla sighs as Michelle raises an eyebrow
"What?"
"The tills on this floor are closed which means we have to go downstairs…great" Carla mutters as Michelle drags her to the escalator as they go down it, walking through the children's section, Michelle storming ahead leaving Carla behind, Carla gulping looking at the baby section
"Carla?" Michelle follows her eyeline before tapping her on the shoulder, bringing out of her trance
"Sorry" Carla smiles glancing down to the rack where there were cute little fluffy onesies on hangers Carla reaching her hand out to feel the material
"You alright?"
"Just thinking"
"Well, do you want to talk about what you're thinking?"
"No but is it wrong I want to buy this and I don't have a baby?" Carla questions smiling trying to picture her daughter in one of the fluffy onesies, toddling towards her giggling and babbling away, the thought putting a happy grin on her face
"Where has Carla Connor gone?" Michelle exclaims moving a piece of Carla's hair out of the way so she could see her face, the genuine smile on her face confirming everything for Michelle
"She's still there, give her time" Carla laughs slightly biting her lip, her eyes mesmerised by the piece of clothing
"You want a baby"
"I don't"
"Liar"
"Michelle! Stop please I don't want a baby, I love Peter, and I love Underworld, I even love the Rover's, is that weird?"
"For you, yes, but you also want Peter's baby unless of course…" Michelle grins as Carla groans rubbing her forehead, her mind was very confused to say the least
"Of course what?" Carla questions raising an eyebrow
"You're already pregnant" Michelle grins as Carla ruffles her hair again a groan in response from Michelle
"I'm not, I'll even do a test to prove it to shut you up…"
"Just think how amazing it will be…if you do get pregnant" Michelle teases, with a grin
"Come on, we're paying and heading home" Carla groans dragging Michelle to the tills as they wait in the queue
Carla and Michelle went home, Michelle constantly teasing Carla about wanting a baby, Carla trying to defend herself of course, but did she really want a baby? Or was she mistaking her current feelings for her late daughter? Was she doing this to please Peter, she didn't know, and she didn't really want to find out in case it was the latter she wanted to be able to trust her judgement and go ahead with it without needing help from Michelle or Peter about understanding her feelings towards a baby. Carla Connor? With a baby? The thought would be absurd, Paul and Liam would definitely be spinning in their graves, that's for sure.
"Hey baby" Carla grins pecking him on the lips arriving from her shopping trip with Michelle
"Hey, love. Got anything for me" he teases as she grins leaning in to whisper in his ear
"I have a nice little number for you to get your hands on, barely there actually, even Michelle thought it was slutty, what d'ya say?" Carla purrs in his ear as he closes his eyes, imagination was the tool of creation, his mind conjuring up all sorts of images as he shifts his position trying to hide how turned on he was
"I must give it my urgent attention" he whispers back to her as she saunters off upstairs "Gemma, Sean mind the bar" Peter insists heading off upstairs taking his time for Carla to change into her new dress
"Woah" Peter replies shocked at the figure hugging, short black dress, which was barely there, it was the definition of barely there
"You like it?" Carla questions as Peter walks over to her, moving her hair from her neck, kissing it gently, Carla closing her eyes at the contact groaning, feeling the hardness of Peter's erection on her arse
"You get your prescription?" he realises as Carla sighs, really wanting Peter to take her here and now
"No, damn it, that was what I was meant to do whilst out with 'Chelle" she groans turning to face Peter, glancing down to see the bulge in his jeans staring greedily at it
"What do you want to do, take the risk, I can go steal a condom from the machine downstairs" he laughs as Carla sighs, knowing the moment would soon pass
"You don't have any here?" Carla questions as Peter rummages through the draws, heading to the bathroom to see if there were any there, his attempts fruitless
"No" he replies as Carla groans really wanting to get intimate with Peter
"Ok then we take the risk" Carla grins launching herself at Peter as he pulls away, Carla frowning in confusion
"Look, for what it's worth I don't want you doing this if you don't want to be pregnant, I'd rather wait until you've sorted your thing out" Peter replies as Carla nods biting her lip
"What's that look for?"
"I did something stupid"
"Ok, you didn't drink too much did you?" Peter questions worried that Carla may be overworking her kidney
"No, me and 'Chelle we were shopping in Next, the tills were closed on the floor we were shopping-"
"You didn't shop lift the dress did you?"
"No! For god's sake, no we had to use the tills downstairs-"
"What's the big deal?"
"The big deal is Michelle dragged me through the children's section didn't she? Then I just froze, I don't know it was weird…"
"Weird how?"
"Weird as in" she pauses "weird as in, I stopped in front of those fluffy onesie things you know the ones that babies have?"
"Yeah…?"
"All these images just flashed in my mind, of our daughter I guess, toddling towards me in this onesie thing, it was so weird, then Michelle she said something, something that just made sense, she said 'Where has Carla Connor gone?' and at that point I knew that I wasn't me, anymore I was Carla Barlow? I don't even know what I'm trying to say…I'm so confused"
"What, you stopped in front of this onesie and saw our daughter?" Peter questions as Carla nods biting her lip
"Yes well I think it was her, I don't know, it was in my mind, I'm not going crazy don't worry, it made me feel warm inside like the pieces of the puzzle finally fitted together"
"Are you saying you want a baby?" Peter questions as Carla tilts her head to the side
"I think I want a baby Peter, I know it sounds crazy but I think I do, something just clicked and made sense when I saw that flipping onesie"
"Wow, ok so what do you want to do?" Peter questions as Carla shrugs her shoulders
"I felt, so, so warm darlin, so warm when I saw those images, and I want to hold our baby, gosh what's happened to me?" she chuckles as Peter brings her into a hug running his hand up and down her back
"But you're scared, of miscarrying, you're scared of carrying a baby in case things go wrong?" he questions as she nods, unshed tears in her eyes
"Would I be replacing her?" Carla questions as Peter sighs knowing these feelings would occur if Carla was to get pregnant again
"You will never change what happened Carla, never, but you would never replace her, you didn't meet her, but no, you wouldn't replace her" Peter reassures her as she sighs, confused at what her body was telling her to do
"Even Michelle was saying I wanted a baby, she was even coming up with solutions to work around me not carrying the baby myself, bless her"
"You really have built bridges haven't you?"
"Yeah, she even offered to carry it for us, but I couldn't let her do that not after Ruairi" Carla smiles as Peter nods in understanding
"But, you've changed your mind?" Peter questions gently as she nods biting her lip
"Yes, you still want a baby right?" Carla questions as Peter nods slowly Carla's face turning into a beaming smile
"I would love to have a baby with you, I just want you to answer me one thing ok?"
"Ok?" she replies confused wondering what the question would be
"You're not just doing this because I want a baby?"
"No, I want this Peter, how can a flamin' shopping trip to Next predict what I want for the future, soon they will be turning Next into a place of worship, for god's sake"
"I doubt that, so how do you want to go about doing this?"
"I don't really know, shall we see how it goes, then if it doesn't happen, we think of other ways to do this?" Carla questions as Peter smiles nodding in agreement
"Ok, then, so no more contraception?" Peter smiles as Carla grins
"No more contraception, Want to continue where you left off?" Carla questions running her perfectly manicured nail along the seam of her dress then running it along the seam of Peter's jeans, his breath becoming instantly shallow
"With you in that dress? How could I resist?"