The night somehow felt longer, they didnt move from their little bubble and if Carla was honest with herself she loved having a child in the house again, a younger one. There was something endearing about it and something so comforting to her that she could experience it once more. Peter was there, he was just...there, that was the only way she could describe it. And him being there was making her feel warm, and feel a spark of life she hadn't felt in ages. The kids kept themselves to themselves that night apart from Everly who didnt have a clue what was going on as well as the understanding of the obvious tension in the room.
"I'm going to hop into bed" Carla smiles and Peter nods "You can continue watching this if you like?"
"Um, I'll probably get my head down as well" he mumbles and Carla nods clicking the TV off "Maybe we could resume this tomorrow-"
"I'd like that" she nods and Peter nods back at her "Maybe drop in on Everly, check to see if she's still ok-"
"Are you sure you're ok with her being in with you?"
"It's fine Peter, she's no bother at all and now I know about everything I can be there for her better than I was..."
"Just bring her back in with me if she's restless, she does tend to kick you sometimes in her sleep"
"It's fine, Merlin and Olivia were the same at that age"
"Speaking of the kids, we haven't seen much of them this evening" Peter trails off and Carla just shrugs "I guess they're their own people now"
"Yeah, I just let them make their own decisions when they're home, they do have boundaries dont worry-"
"Oh I wasnt worrying, I know you're probably great at discipline" Peter smirks and she bites her lip before laughing, he sighs and groans at Everly skipping out from the hallway, "I thought you were meant to be sleeping-"
"Can't sleep" she yawns and Carla frowns at her before using all of her strength to lift her up
"Oi, dont do that, you'll do your back in" Peter scolds and Carla rolls her eyes watching him take Everly into his arms "Come on you...you need to go to bed"
"With Carla" Everly corrects her father and he just sighs before kissing her on the side of the head "Please"
"It's up to Carla but really you should be sleeping in with me" Peter states and Everly just shrugs before throwing her arms around his neck
"Please?"
"How about we do a deal" Carla suggests and Everly looks at her with a pout of her lips "You can spend the half of the night with daddy and then half of the night with me?"
"No" Everly shakes her head and Carla raises her eyebrows and Peter smirks at her "With Carla"
"Well it's up to Carla" Peter looks at his daughter and she hums thoughtfully before reaching her arms out to Carla who takes her again
"As long as you dont give me anymore scares ok, we dont want a repeat of this morning" Carla smiles and Everly nods slowly before smiling "Let's put you back into bed"
"Stay?" Everly looks to her dad who sighs, both of the adults sharing an awkward look "Please"
"It's up to Carla" Peter grins knowing she would hate the ball being in her court all the time "It's her bed"
"Hmm, ok" Carla nods and Everly grins at her before clapping so Carla puts her down on the floor and takes her hand before walking off towards her bedroom, she pauses and looks back at Peter "Are you coming or what?"
Carla got ready for bed whilst Everly sat with Peter and watched TV, Peter's arm around her shoulders and her head rested against his and Carla couldnt help but smile at the sight. Her eyes glanced to her side of the bed and she climbed in under the covers, pulling them over her legs whilst Everly snuggled down between them and closed her eyes. Carla's fingers ran through her hair as she fell asleep and Peter smiled at them both before catching his gaze with Carla's who smiled sheepishly at him before biting her lip, neither of them knowing what to say to make this less awkward.
"Well...as she's asleep, I'll head back into my room if you're happy enough to have her in with you"
"It's fine and why do you want to leave? We were in the middle of watching this film?"
"You're seriously interested in Aladdin?" he laughs slightly and she just shrugs "Just admit it you want me to stay"
"No, I dont, I was just thinking that we should probably wait in case she wakes up or something" Carla shrugs and Peter narrows his eyes
"She's out for the count, look at her" he gestures to his daughter wanting Carla to admit that she was enjoying his company
"True, you're right" she nods grabbing the remote and turning the TV off "Night then"
"Night Carla"
Somehow Carla was unsettled throughout the night, her mind was well and truly on Peter and there was no stopping that. She wanted things to be simple, not complicated like Peter was making them or she was. How she hated all this pettiness and underlying love. Ultimately she wished she could turn her feelings off, make them stop at the click of her fingers but Carla knew it was impossible when he was involved. Somehow she felt devoted to help him through whatever, be by his side like they were a pair of irritating magnets, north and south. Sleep came over her but she woke up in the middle of the night, checked on Everly who was wrapped up in Carla's expensive blanket, adorned with black fluffy fur. Deciding to get a drink of water, she padded into the kitchen bumping straight into Peter who was standing there coincidentally doing the same thing.
"What are you doing up?"
"I could ask you the same question" her eyes narrow, she knew it was an utter coincidence that he was there so there was no reason for her to have a go
"Everly still asleep?"
"Out like a light" she reaches up to grab a glass and brushes his arm as he did the same so she removes her hand to let him go first
"You go first"
"W-What?" she stutters and frowns, he gestures to the cabinet with the glasses in "No, no, you go first"
"Carla, this is stupid" he complains and she frowns, her arms naturally folding across her chest
"No it's not, it's just getting a glass of water and I'm allowing you to go first, you're the guest-"
"Not that" he drones and she just sighs in annoyance not wanting to face up to her feelings surrounding Peter "Us, this...whole thing"
"Nothings going on between us Peter"
"I knew you were going to say that, you can't even kid me on this Carla"
"There will always be something between us Peter whether we like it or not" she states biting her bottom lip, he looks at her in the eyes "But I cant go there, not again, not after everything I've been through, the kids have been through its not fair unless I know its worth it for everyone's sakes"
"I've changed?"
"Have you?" she asks, it was time she started to separate herself from him, get rid of those ever so tempting romantic emotions "Because I jsut see the same car crash"
"I'm better now"
"So you're saying you want this Peter? You want us to be in a relationship like we once were?"
"Not, now, not yet but in time then maybe we could-"
"It's all maybes, Peter. Look its late and the last thing I want is Everly to wake-"
"Why are you like that with her then? My daughter, she's mine, not yours. Why do you care so much?"
"Because I care about you and I care about the kids and I want you in their lives even though you have done some terrible things in the past, they dont deserve to pay the price for your mistakes"
"Why bother Carla?"
"I just want you to realise that this isnt about us anymore, it's about all of the kids" she whispers and he nods slowly, he couldnt help but feel a little heartbroken by it all as they had seemingly been closer in recent days
"So all of those moments..."
"Were moments, nothing more, a united front" she states, it hurt her as she knew it was more but she was not in a position to go there "Look I need to get back to Everly, just get your water and go back to bed before one of us wakes the kids up or even worse Michelle or Lucas"
"Carla?" he stops her as she goes to leave the kitchen, she sighs slightly "I will always love you and care about you...you know that right?"
"Goodnight Peter" she shakes her head and leaves the kitchen allowing him to let out a sigh of annoyance at the situation they were both in
Of course, Elodie and Michelle immediately clicked something was up between Carl and peter that next morning. They were being distant, shunning each other and they genuinely seemed like they were in a strop and taking it out on each other. Michelle and Lucas went to work leaving Elodie to talk to her mother about what has been going on as it was so obvious something had. Dragging her mother into her room she sat her down on the bed and Carls just knew she was about the get the third degree from her daughter.
"What's gone on?"
"Nothing so stop interfering" Carla gets up but Elodie yanks her back down to sit on the bed "I dont know what you want me to say?"
"You and dad"
"There's nothing going on between me and your dad"
"Tell that to your face" Elodie tuts and Carla just groans at her daughter before pinching the bridge of her nose "What's gone on?"
"Nothing"
"Liar"
"The thing is nothing went on though, it's weird, I dont know how to explain it"
"Ok, so what happened?"
"Last night we were sitting and watching a film in my room with Everly" she starts and notices her daughter's face "Nothing happened so get that out of your head"
"Sorry" Elodie grins so Carla nudges her "Continue"
"Well anyway I suggested he stayed after Everly fell asleep because the film hadn't finished yet and I didnt want her to risk waking up-"
"Are you sure thats the reason?"
"Ok fine I liked his company" Carla mutters and Elodie just smirks at her mother "Anyway he didnt like that idea so he went back to his room so I was just there with Everly, couldnt sleep because that moment was playing on my mind"
"Is that seriously all that happened?"
"No! I got up to get some water and he was there, coincidentally doing the same thing. We spoke and we kind of argued and that was it really"
"You're such an idiot"
"Excuse me, you are talking to your mother"
"It's not you as a person but you trying to hide your pining feelings for dad is only going to end in one thing and that is tears but you do you mum, you do you..."