Parking his car and climbing out of it, Peter stretched his limbs, wincing as he heard a couple of his joints click from the lack of movement they'd had in the past few hours. Letting out a sigh, he grabbed the now empty carrier bag Carla had given him from the passenger side, locked the vehicle and began the short walk towards the pub he was currently calling home.

As soon as Peter walked through the door of The Rovers Return he was instantly met with an unimpressed Toyah and Leanne as if they'd been standing there waiting for him to arrive, he was hoping that because it was late, they would both already be in bed so he could just slip in unnoticed but annoyingly for him, they had other ideas.

"Oh look the wanderer or should I say the rover has returned." Leanne hissed, arms folded across her chest accompanied by a scowl on her face.

"Excuse me? I went to find my or should I say our son." Peter shrugged off his coat and hung it up on the hook by the door.

"Who was with your ex and still is! Is she keeping him hostage or something?"

"Don't be ridiculous, he adores Carla! He's enjoying himself and wanted some time away from here, can't say I blame him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Toyah finally spoke, not missing the way Peter defended his ex wife.

"Nothing, look can this wait until tomorrow? I'm shattered." He replied glumly, not in the mood for the two of them to have a go at him.

"Can what wait?"

"The interrogation and grilling I'm about to get."

"Oh whatever Peter. I'm going to bed, night sis." Leanne stomped her way up the stairs like a stroppy teenager.

"Are you coming up?" Toyah asked as she placed her foot on the first step also ready to go to bed.

"Not yet, gonna grab a drink and text Si. Shouldn't be long." He answered, watching her nod and continue up the stairs.

After getting a glass of water, Peter sat down on the sofa, got out his phone and messaged Simon, letting him know he was back home. He thought about whether he should text Carla or not. Had she been joking when she said he could? Or did she mean it? Deciding that it wouldn't do any harm as the worst thing she could do would be to ignore it, he opened a new message, clicked on her name and began typing.

To Carla:

Hey,

I managed to make it home in one piece.

Haven't been murdered yet although I've had nicer welcomes.

Hope you and Si had a lovely evening.

Oh it's Peter by the way, you probably did delete my number... x

He pressed send, glanced at the clock and secretly hoped that she would still be awake. Finishing the rest of his drink, he strolled into the kitchen and put the glass in the sink. He heard his phone buzz from the living room as he washed up the glass, making him smile as he knew it was going to be Carla or Simon. Hastily, he dried his hands with a tea towel, went back to the sofa and picked it up, the name he saw on the screen instantly causing his heart to flutter.

From Carla:

Glad you got back safe and sound.

No welcome home party then? Your poor ego :(

We had a nice evening in front of the telly watching films.

Ha, I suppose you'll never know… x

Grinning to himself like the Cheshire cat, he re-read the message a couple of times not quite believing he was lucky enough to be able to banter with her again. Her teasing and sarcasm always had been one of his favourite things about her, even when he was on the receiving end of it.

To Carla:

Yep, unfortunately no welcome home party for me :(

Sounds like a perfect evening, wish I was still there with you both.

Hey maybe I can come back tomorrow when I get kicked out of here ;) x

Within a few seconds, his phone buzzed again.

From Carla:

Ha, for some reason I don't think that would be a good idea…

Goodnight Barlow x

Keeping it short and sweet just like she had, he responded straightaway with a smile tugging at his lips.

To Carla:

Yeah you're probably right… as usual.

Night Car, sweet dreams x

He laid back on the sofa, head resting on a pillow, not able to bring himself to go upstairs yet. The difference he felt when speaking to Carla whether it was in person or through a screen compared to anyone else had always been strong but right now it seemed to be stronger than ever. Ending it with Toyah wasn't an option, it was a necessity.

Carla woke the next morning without the typical Monday blues she usually had, getting out of bed seemed easier and her mood was brighter. Simon had assured her that he would be fine for the next couple of days whilst she went to work as normal, saying he would chill out in the house, go for walks along the beach, to the arcades or into town. The main reason he escaped Weatherfield was to relax so the situation suited him fine and he didn't want Carla to waste any holiday just because he spontaneously showed up.

Sipping on her morning coffee, Carla thought about last nights texts with Peter. She didn't know if he would actually go through with ending his relationship as he did sometimes struggle doing what he said he was going to do. Half of her wanted him to do it so he was free again, so they could be themselves without a third party involvement which always seemed inevitable but the other half thought that he if he stayed with Toyah it meant she wasn't at risk of getting her heart broken by him again.

By half past eight she was ready to leave for work. She wrote a quick note for Simon, telling him if he needed her he could call her mobile and also left her work number just incase he needed it. She was planning on working through her lunch break so she could leave early, the guy she worked closely with was pretty easy going so she knew he probably wouldn't mind.

"Good morning." Carla greeted as she walked into the cosy, shared office.

"Wow, someone's happy this morning."

"Eh? I only said good morning, it's not like I'm dancing on the tables." She put her bag down in its usual spot and sat down at her desk.

"Yeah not like that time you were on the gin."

"Oh god, don't remind me." She cringed thinking of the memory.

"So, why are you so cheery on this fine Monday morning?"

"I'm not!"

"Carla."

"Lucas."

"What happened over the weekend? Did you get lucky?"

"No and nothing happened, zip it." She said as her work phone began to ring. "Good morning, Carla Connor speaking." She said into the phone, business mode Carla officially in place.

Lucas sat back in his chair and watched her suspiciously, he knew something must have happened over the weekend because usually on a Monday morning Carla was snappy and irritable until at least her second cup of coffee and he was determined to get it out of her.

Rubbing his neck after an uncomfortable and accidental night on the sofa, Peter grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and the box of monster flakes from the counter and made his breakfast. He hadn't meant to fall asleep after messaging Carla goodnight, it had just happened. He took his bowl of cereal out to the table and sat down, waiting for the moment Toyah or Leanne walked through the door. He wasn't quite sure how to go about the conversation he needed to have with Toyah but knew he'd prefer it if Leanne wasn't in attendance.

"Morning." Toyah said chirpily as she walked through the door already dressed for the day ahead.

Confused at her demeanour Peter raised an eyebrow. "Morning, er-"

"We should start looking into surrogacy soon, we're not getting any younger." She interrupted.

"Hang on-"

"What? Simon seems to be sorting himself out, you're back on the right path, there's no excuses to not get this started!" She grinned and clapped excitedly, ignoring the obvious tension in the room.

"Can you please stop interrupting me and let me speak?" At her silence, he continued, "I don't know how to go about this I really don't, I don't want to hurt you."

"Then don't." She sighed, having a feeling she knew what was about to come out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry Toyah, I really am. I just, I don't want a baby." He said softly.

"I bet you would if she asked for one."

"Ay? Who?"

"Mother Teresa! Who do you think? Carla flaming Connor obviously."

"What's Carla got to do with this?"

"I just think it's ironic how the day after you've seen her we're having this conversation."

"Look, I've been feeling like this for a while, I've just been putting off telling you but it's not fair. You want a baby and I don't, I'm holding you back. You deserve to find someone who wants the same things as you." He stated honestly.

"So now we're splitting up? This just gets better, thanks Cruella De Connor." She muttered.

"Don't call her that, this is not Carla's fault."

"Whatever. Leanne told me you'd never get over her and that I'd have no chance if she ever reentered your life, I should have listened."

"She hasn't reentered my life, Simon ran away and straight to her house, that's not my fault but you know what? Yeah I probably won't ever be over her properly but it doesn't mean I don't love you."

"You just love her more, you're in love with her but not in love with me, save it Peter." She shouted.

All of a sudden the door flew open, making the two of them jump as an oblivious Leanne strolled through after dropping Oliver off at Steve's for the day. "What's with the raised voices?" She questioned with her hands on her hips.

Before Peter could respond Toyah beat him to it, "Oh just Peter not wanting a baby and wanting to split up instead." She casually announced to her sister.

"What?! Have you been drinking?"

"No offence Lee, but this is between Toyah and me, can you leave us to it?"

"Absolutely not! Has the black widow really sunk her fangs into you that quickly? Fast work that, even for her!" She scoffed.

"My god, if you two could stop insulting Carla for five seconds, you'd realise this is my decision, it's my life. I'm sorry Toyah I really am." He got up from his seat and went straight upstairs, heading towards the bathroom for a shower, not missing Leanne calling him a derogative name on the way.

During his shower he thought about his son and Carla at the other end of the country, he knew he hadn't been completely honest about it being nothing to do with Carla. He couldn't stop thinking about her but that wasn't her fault it was his. She was the love of his life and the one woman he wanted to grow old with and that would never change.

Once dressed and ready for the day, Peter knew he needed to sit down with Toyah so they could talk properly with no interruptions. He looked around the pub for her, not finding her anywhere but unluckily for him, Leanne was behind the bar restocking the fridge and wasn't going to let go of the earlier conversation she had walked in on.

"I knew you two wouldn't last. I warned her about you, no one is ever good enough are they?" She venomously spat at him before he had the chance to ask where her sister was.

"Do you not get tired of the constant attacks? I'm sorry alright, I can't help how I feel."

"Whatever Peter, she's better off without you anyway."

"Where is she?"

"Oh now you care?" She hissed before continuing, "She went for a walk if you must know, needed some fresh air after her world has been blown apart."

"Thanks." He turned and walked straight towards the door, stepping out onto the street.

After walking around for a few minutes Peter found Toyah sat on a bench in Victoria Gardens. They spoke everything through, Peter felt awful but knew being honest was right despite the pain it might cause. He told her she would most likely end up resenting him as her desire to be a mother was strong and she couldn't help but agree even though she didn't want to, so in the end they came to the conclusion that parting ways was probably for the best.

By the end of the day Peter felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders and that he could finally breathe again. His dad had agreed to let him stay at number 1 for the foreseeable so after packing up his things in the pub, which didn't take too long as he didn't really have many belongings, he made the very short journey next door and started to unpack in his new and hopefully temporary bedroom.

"I think I could eat Chinese everyday for the rest of my life and not get sick of it." Simon announced as he finished his plate.

"Really? You don't think you'd get bored?" Carla replied with a chuckle.

"Nah, it's just the best."

Carla ended up being later than she intended to be after an unexpectedly busy day at work, so she brought home a Chinese takeaway for tea which Simon was more than happy with. Simon had spent the morning in the comfort of Carla's cottage and the afternoon in town, exploring and spending some of the money his dad left him. He bought a couple of Xbox games and a new pair of earphones as his were starting to look damaged.

Lucas had been questioning Carla all day so she ended up telling him about the weekend spent with her old family. He didn't seem impressed and warned her to be careful but she promised him everything was fine and that he didn't need to worry about her. She didn't really understand why he was being so opinionated but brushed it off as just being protective of a friend, especially as he knew all about her past thanks to her spilling her guts when she was intoxicated.

Carla noticed Simon fidgeting in his seat and just as she was about to ask him what was wrong, he spoke up.

"Carla."

"Yeah?"

"Would you ever take me dad back?"

"Ay? Where's this come from?"

"No where it's just… I can tell he still loves you so it would be nice that's all." He said sheepishly, looking down and playing with his fingers.

"I wish it was that easy but trust is a big thing Si and unfortunately he broke it big time." She noticed the disappointed look on his face and sighed, "but I'd never say never, I do think we'll always love each other."

"That's good enough for me. Now where's that ice cream?" He grinned cheekily and Carla let out a loud laugh at how he could go from asking such a serious question to wanting ice cream. Getting up from her chair, she went to serve the chocolate fudge brownie ice cream that she had bought especially for him.

Climbing into bed after a long day, Carla sighed. It was 10pm, a little earlier than the time she usually went to bed but her body felt exhausted and she wanted nothing more than to lie down in the comfort of her favourite place and relax, even if she couldn't sleep just yet. She'd left Simon downstairs watching a film, he'd assured her he would make sure everything was switched off before going to bed himself.

Scrolling through her Instagram feed, liking a few posts and rolling her eyes at others, she was broken from her daze when she got a text message from Peter. She did wonder whether she should message him asking how his day went but she didn't want to look like she was being nosey.

From Peter:

Can I call you? x

She read over the short message a couple of times, curious as to why he would want to call her and waited a few minutes to reply so she didn't look too eager.

To Peter:

Yeah x

Within seconds her phone was ringing, albeit on silent because of the time. Pressing accept, she placed the phone to her ear and laid back in bed getting herself comfortable.

"Hello." She said softly.

"Hey, thanks for letting me call you, I just needed a chat and you're the only person I want to speak to I'm not going to lie." He spoke quickly.

"Peter, slow down it's fine." She giggled, "So, how did today go then?"

"Good, well not good because obviously I feel terrible but it could have gone much worse. Already back living at me dads."

"Wow, that was quick."

"Yeah, didn't see the point in hanging about, it wouldn't be good for anyone."

"Fair enough I suppose, what are you gonna do about the pub then?"

"I said they could stay there if they want and I'd sell my half, invest it in a new business or get a flat maybe."

"You seem like you've thought it all through."

"I have. I told you Car, I've been thinking about it for a while I just didn't have the courage to do it, you helped me though."

"Oh great, I'm gonna have to steer clear of the pub when I come up on Wednesday, I bet the Battersby sisters want me dead."

"I told them it has nothing to do with you, which I guess wasn't strictly true but I don't want them ganging up on you."

"Ah, I can handle those two don't you worry."

"I know you can but you shouldn't have to, this is my mess." He sighed, "Anyway enough about me, how has your day been?"

"Work was busy and tiring but me and Si had Chinese for tea which was delicious."

"You? busy at work? No way, not Miss Workaholic! Very jealous of you two having Chinese, I had one of me dad's beef roasts, no red wine in my gravy though obviously."

"Ha unlucky Mr Alcoholic, I'm sure it was very tasty."

"Alright, suppose I deserved that one." He chuckled.

Feeling brave as they weren't face to face, Carla decided to bring up what Simon had asked her earlier, "Hey Si asked me summit earlier…"

"Yeah? What did he ask?"

"If I'd ever take ya back."

"Oh, er I don't know why he's got that in his head." He muttered, extremely grateful that they couldn't see each other whilst he blushed slightly.

"Reckons you still love me." She twirled a piece of hair around a finger with her free hand, thoroughly enjoying hearing him squirm down the phone.

"Carla being honest here, I'll probably always love you. I don't think that comes as a surprise to anyone."

"That's what I said…"

"Oh?" She could hear the curiosity in his tone.

"Yeah, oh and that you broke all the trust we had, big time."

He cleared his throat before responding. "Erm, anything else?"

"And that I'd never say never…"

a/n: i've had a bit of writers block so i hope this is still okay! thank you for the reviews :)