Author's note: Sorry it's been a while. I needed a bit of a break over Christmas. But I'm back now with the rest of the story if anyone's still interested. I suggest reading over the last few chapters to refresh your memory on what's happened but in a nutshell: Rob's back, Tracy's ditched Steve, Sinead's died, Daniel's been a naughty boy with Bethany, and that's about it (I think).

As always, thanks for reading.

Chapter 16 - Funeral Fireworks

Peter was checking himself over in the mirror when Carla appeared behind him in a black dress. She looked beautiful, but he didn't think it appropriate to say so. After all, it wasn't like they were off to a party, they were going to a funeral.

He turned away from the mirror and Carla stepped towards him, shaking her head at his tie. "You've made a right mess of that." She straightened it out, then looked him up and down, nodding her approval. "There. That's better."

He caught her hands and held them to his chest, against the steady beat of his heart. "What would I do without you eh?"

It was days like today that reminded him how lucky he was, how lucky they both were, to have each other, to still be here.

Then Peter headed over to the window where rain drizzled miserably down the glass pane. Even the weather was in mourning, he thought. On the street below, residents had lined up outside their houses in a mark of respect as two black cars began a slow descent down the cobbled street.

"The hearse is here," he said, hurrying over to the front door. "I'm going to head over there with Daniel. Are you still alright to follow on with Simon?"

"Of course. You just worry about Daniel. I'll see you there."

He was about to head out when something made him pause. He looked back at her longingly. "I love you."

They were words he said all the time but today he really needed her to hear them.

From the darkened corner of the room, she smiled sadly back at him. "I love you too."

Carla sat shivering in the freezing church. She gazed up at the high ceiling where hideous looking gargoyles stared down at her. In an effort to lighten the mood, she nudged Simon and pointed up at one. "Hey, it looks like your aunty Tracy."

No one had seen hide nor hair of Tracy since she ran off with Rob three weeks ago. Carla had thought she would at least make it back for the funeral, but that was Tracy Barlow for you, selfish to the core.

All heads turned as the great big doors opened up at the back of the church. Kate Bush's This Woman's Work played as Sinead's white coffin was carried in. Daniel had picked the song and Carla found herself welling up listening to it.

Once the coffin was set down and a framed photo of Sinead was placed on its lid, the music faded out and Peter joined her in the pew, taking her by the hand.

Billy welcomed everyone to the service, his humble manner dampened by the sadness of the occasion, then invited Beth up to speak. Beth was wearing one of Sinead's vintage coats. She dug deep into its oversized pocket and retrieved a crumpled sheet of paper which she straightened out with trembling hands. "Sinead was…" Faltering, she tried again. "Sinead was…"

She stopped reading. Scrunching the paper into a ball, she tossed it aside and chose to speak from the heart. Here, the words flowed more easily. "Sinead was a glass half full kind of girl. She always looked on the bright side. And that's exactly what she did with the cancer. She never wallowed, never complained, she just got on with it. Because that's the kind of person she was." Beth's eyes rolled up to the church's high ceiling. "If there is such a place as heaven, and I believe there is, then I know she's looking down on us because she was an angel." She spoke directly to the coffin now. "Sinead, darling… you were an angel. Sweet dreams baby girl."

Daniel was next to speak. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the podium. He looked nervous but there was a strange determination about him. "As most of you probably know by now, I'm not a religious man. In fact, I'd go as far as to say I detest religion and think it's the cause of most problems in the world, but that's a matter for another time. My wife however, was religious, and I know these places are meant to be about truth and honesty. That's why I can't stand in front of you all today and pretend I was the doting husband. Because not only would I be lying to myself, to all of you, but most importantly, I'd be lying to Sinead…"

Carla and Peter exchanged nervous looks. "Daniel," Peter hissed in warning. "Maybe you should sit down."

"Peter's right," said Beth sweetly. "Come on darling, come sit back down."

"No, I'm sorry I've got to say this…" He swallowed nervously and Carla's grip on Peter's hand tightened. "For the last few months, I've been having an affair. It was a mistake. A stupid, reckless mistake, and I wish with all my heart it hadn't happened, but it did…" He walked up to the coffin and placed his hand upon it. Tears clouded his eyes as he addressed his wife's photograph. "I'm sorry I let you down. I'm sorry I couldn't be what you needed."

He allowed his hand to linger a moment longer before tearing it away and fleeing down the aisle. Carla nudged Peter out of the pew. "Go after him!"

When Peter caught up to Daniel outside the church he found him leaning against the stone wall, breathing shakily, staring up at the desolate sky.

"What the hell was that?!"

"The truth needed to come out."

"Why?! Nobody knew anything! You didn't have to say a word! Now all you've done is cause Sinead's family a whole world of pain! Why today? Why couldn't you have let them have this one day?"

Daniel straightened. "Because today wasn't about them. Or me. It was about Sinead. And I needed her to know the truth." He became distracted by a cab pulling up in the distance. When he spoke again, his voice was eerily calm. "Listen, I need you to make me a promise. Promise me you'll look after Bertie while I'm gone."

"Gone? What are you talking about? Where are you going?"

But Daniel had already started hurrying away. "It doesn't matter where, just say you'll do it!"

"Hey! Daniel! Get back here! I said get back!"

Daniel hopped into the taxi without so much as a backward glance and Peter could do nothing but watch as it sped off down the street.

Peter didn't hang about for the burial. He headed over to Daniel's flat hoping he might catch him there and talk him out of the madness of running away, but when he got there the place was in darkness. If Daniel had been back to pack a bag, he was long gone by now.

Peter headed over to the Rovers where the wake was being held and joined Carla at the bar. "I've been calling you nonstop," she said. "Where have you been? Where's Daniel?"

Before Peter could explain, Beth came staggering over. "Where is he then? The lying, cheating rat!"

Emotions were bound to be running high after the funeral but the last thing Peter wanted was to cause another scene. "He's gone away," he said simply.

"Gone away?!" Beth roared like thunder. "He's run away?! The coward!"

Those enjoying a quiet drink started to look over at the commotion.

"Beth, I know you're upset, but try to calm down, yeah?"

Beth wagged a finger in Carla's face. "Don't tell me to calm down! I just buried my niece! And the one person she trusted most, the one person who was supposed to be by her side no matter what, was having it away with someone else! I should wring his scrawny neck!"

Kirk appeared behind Beth. "Come on, babe, this isn't doing anyone any good." Beth allowed herself to be led away and once they were out of earshot, Carla turned to Peter.

"Okay, spill. Where is he really?"

"Gone."

"Gone? What does that even mean? Gone where?"

"I don't know. He told me to look after Bertie then he took off in a cab."

Carla's eyes bulged. "And you let him?!"

"What was I supposed to do? Wrestle him to the ground?"

"Did he at least say when he was coming back?"

Peter gave another helpless shrug and Carla clutched her heaving chest. "Oh Peter, what if he's gone to do something stupid? You saw him in that church, he was a mess!"

The thought had been nagging at Peter too but he'd tried to shove it to the back of his mind. Now there was no ignoring it. "I'll try calling him again."

It went to voicemail. Peter struggled to keep the panic from his voice as he left a message. "Daniel, it's me again. I'm worried about you. Let me know you're alright. Call me back."

As he hung up the phone he was less than thrilled to see Beth making her way back towards him despite Kirk's attempts to hold her back. "What is wrong with your family eh? Why can't they keep it in their pants? It must be in the genes to play away! My Sinead deserved better!"

She was hysterical and Peter was painfully aware of the rest of the pub looking over. "Beth, I know you're upset but whatever Daniel might've done, he loved Sinead."

"Loved? Loved?! Your lot don't know the meaning of the word! It should be him that's dead and I'd cheer his coffin!"

"That's enough!" Carla snapped.

"Why are you defending him?" Then Beth's eyes widened at Carla. Her jaw fell open. "Wait a minute… it was you, wasn't it?"

Carla frowned. "What was me?"

"You're the one Daniel's been sleeping with!"

Carla couldn't believe the audacity of her. "Are you off your head?!"

"It's no secret Daniel likes the older woman, and it's not like you two haven't been there before, so come on, was it?!"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then who was it?!"

Just as tensions threatened to spill over, Rob and Tracy walked in. It went silent like in one of those western movies when a ranger from out of town walked into a bar. The couple ignored the scathing looks and stood the opposite side to Carla and Peter. Tracy decided to address the room. "We're not here to cause trouble, alright? We're here to pay our respects."

Peter laughed mockingly. "Respect? If you had even a shred of respect you wouldn't have shown your faces in here."

Rob gave a tired roll of his eyes. "Yeah, whatever, nice to see you too, Peter. A glass of red and a pint of bitter please, Johnny."

Johnny looked at his daughter as if seeking her permission on whether or not to serve them.

"Sis, get daddy dearest to serve me would you?"

"I don't want any trouble," Johnny warned him.

"And there won't be any," said Carla. "Let him have his drink then he'll be on his way."

Johnny begrudgingly fetched them their drinks. Peter's blood boiled as he watched Rob take the first sip of his ice-cold pint. Carla could feel the anger radiating off Peter like a volcano about to erupt. She gently tugged on his arm. "Listen, we've shown are faces in here so why don't we head home?"

But Peter was far too stubborn to back down. "And let him drive me out of my own local? No way. Another orange juice when you're ready, Johnny."

If they were going to stick it out, Carla would at least make the effort to be civil. "So when did you two love birds get back in town?"

Tracy was hanging from Rob's neck like a hideous fashion accessory. She gazed up at him adoringly. "We got back this morning as it happens, didn't we, babe?"

"We sure did."

They kissed passionately and Carla pulled a face, looking away. Unable to help himself, Peter piped up, "So have you seen Steve yet, Trace? Remember Steve? The father of your kid? Also your husband?"

"Not yet," Tracy said, becoming a little flustered. "But Steve knows the score."

"You're a fool, you know that, Tracy?"

"Not as big a fool as my sister," Rob butted in. "Taking you back after the stuff you got up to when she was carrying your baby? Then again, you've always been a glutton for punishment, haven't you sis?"

Peter's nostrils flared and Carla squeezed his arm. "Don't rise to it."

"So what's the plan for you two then?" Peter asked, trying to keep his cool. "Are you going to move away somewhere? Two ex-cons starting a new life together? Sounds like the makings of a romcom."

Tracy grinned up at Rob. "We rather like it here, don't we, babe?"

"We do indeed."

They kissed again and Peter stared, aghast. "Tell me you're joking."

Tracy shrugged. "Well, why not?"

Any attempt at holding back his anger went flying out of the window. "Because, Tracy, in case you've forgotten, he killed tina! Bashed her brains in on this very street!"

Appalled gasps came from punters and mourners alike.

Rob shook his head in a slow, belittling manner, smug that he'd gotten under Peter's skin. "Even now when he talks about her it's still so passionate. I'd be careful if I were you, Carla. Sounds to me like he's still holding a candle."

"What did you say? You sick..." That was it. Peter snapped. He flew at Rob, shrugging off Carla's attempts to hold him back, and the two men squared up to each other. The tension between them was so thick it could be sliced with a knife. The whole pub was watching them.

"Go on then, Peter," Rob said, unafraid. "Take a swing. Give it your best shot."

Peter wanted to. He really, really wanted to. The man who had murdered Tina and let him take the fall for it was standing right in front of him. This was his chance for revenge, to dish out some well-overdue justice of his own. If ever a punch in the face was justified, it was right here, right now.

"Come on, Peter," said Rob. "What are you waiting for?"

"Peter, don't. It's what he wants." Carla pleaded from somewhere behind him.

"That's enough lads!" said Johnny. "Remember where you are."

Peter's eyes briefly fell upon the booth where Sinead's family were looking at him with fear in their eyes. This was meant to be their day to remember their daughter and celebrate her life. Daniel had already done his best to ruin it, Peter wouldn't cause further upset. He unclenched his fist and backed away. "Carla, get your coat. We're leaving."

That evening Ken called round the flat with Bertie. Given the circumstances, Peter and Carla had agreed to have him for the night. Carla sat bouncing him on her knee whilst Peter spoke quietly with his father in the doorway. "I just can't believe it of Daniel to have an affair," Ken was saying. "He always struck me as having such moral principles. Did he confide in you about it?"

"Yeah, he did," Peter admitted after a brief hesitation. "He told me the night Sinead died. But he swore me to secrecy. If I'd known he was going to say the stuff he did in that church, I would never…"

Ken patted his shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. But I have to ask, who was he having an affair with?"

Peter looked down at his feet. "It was…um…" God, he really didn't want to have to say it. "It was Bethany Platt."

"Bethany Platt?" Ken said it with the same ring of surprise that Carla had when she'd found out. It took him a moment to recover. "Well, I suppose she's always been a troubled girl."

"Maybe so, but don't go spreading it around. That girl's been through enough without the likes of Beth Tinker gunning for her."

"Point taken. In other news, you'll never guess who showed up at my door this evening asking for a place to stay?" Ken didn't wait for him to hazard a guess before blurting out, "Tracy and Rob Donavon. He's out of prison!"

"Yeah, I know," Peter said bitterly, still reeling from the altercation in the pub. "And what did you tell him?"

"I told them to get gone. I won't have that man staying under my roof. Over my dead body."

"Good on you, dad. Any idea where they went?"

"No idea. But that's not my concern. Tracy's done some questionable things in her time but getting back with that man just about tops the lot. I'm sorry, Carla, I know he's your brother."

"It's fine, Ken. I feel the same way as you do."

Ken handed Peter Bertie's striped overnight bag. "Anyway, here you are. It's just a few essentials. Are you sure you're alright to look after him?"

"Of course we are, dad. Stop worrying."

"Hopefully it'll just be for tonight and Daniel will be back tomorrow. Have you heard from him?" Peter shook his head, and Ken sighed. "I'm really worried about him. It's not like him to take off, to abandon his son. Perhaps we should phone the police?"

"I think it's best we leave it for tonight, dad. Daniel's upset. He's probably blowing off steam somewhere."

"Peter's right," Carla said in an effort to reassure him. "After the stuff he said in church, he'll be wanting to keep a low profile until things settle down a bit."

"I hope so." Ken's worried gaze lingered on his grandson. Then he pulled himself together with a forced smile. "Well, I better be off. Claudia's got the dinner waiting. Call me if you hear anything."

Peter showed his father out, then joined Carla on the sofa. After such an eventful day it was nice to finally take the weight off his feet. "What a day eh?"

Carla wasn't listening. Her attention was solely on the baby in her arms. "Look at his little hand, it's so tiny," she marvelled. "Strong though. He's got an iron grip, this one."

She kissed Bertie's chubby cheek, rubbing her nose against his. All of a sudden her smile faded. "It's so sad, isn't it? He'll never know his mum."

"And if that's not bad enough, his dad's gone AWOL."

"Daniel will be back when he's good and ready. He might be a mess right now, but there's no way he'd leave this little lad."

"I hope you're right, love. I really do."

"I know I'm right," Carla said in a sing-song voice. "I know I am."

It was fascinating watching her with a baby. Peter didn't think he'd actually ever seen her hold one before. In fact, she rarely showed her maternal side. He'd caught glimpses of it from time to time with Simon and when she was pregnant. He remembered how every night before bed she would rub her bump and speak to it. Seeing her now he couldn't help but feel a great sense of injustice. It should be their baby she was holding, not somebody else's. But his selfishness had well and truly ruined that future. He would forever blame himself for the baby. He would carry the guilt around with him until his dying day.

Carla had noticed he'd gone quiet. "You alright, love?"

"Yeah, fine," he said, faking a smile, trying to hide the fact he'd suddenly become emotional. "I'm going to nip out for a ciggy."

He stood on the balcony and stared in through the glass at Carla and Bertie. She was lifting him high into the air and blowing kisses on his belly. Suddenly tears were gushing down Peter's face. He tried to get a grip of himself. No good ever came from dwelling on the past. But with Rob around, it seemed the past would be impossible to escape.

Author's note: I should be back to posting a chapter every 2-3 days or so. If you're still interested in reading this, please let me know by leaving a review. It doesn't have to be long and it's really appreciated. Thanks.