A/N: I'm absolutely floored by the response to this story so far. It has encouraged me to simply sit and write until I have a completed chapter. I'm hoping to do the same with My Heart Bleeds and A Casual Arrangement, next.

Thank you all so very much.


"Any news yet 'Chelle?" Becky asked as she slumped into the booth at the Rovers beside Maria.

Michelle was pale, having not slept the night before; makeup did not grace her features and the puffiness around her eyes made it was obvious she had been crying. "The boys got into Glasgow late last night, only to discover that Frank had taken Carla to a hospital in Edinburgh, so they waited until this afternoon until all the forensics were done at my cousin's place, traded in their rental car for a van, picked up Aidan and have headed back to Edinburgh." Michelle took a sip of wine, "they don't know the full extent of her injuries, yet, except that she might be suffering from amnesia from a blow to the head, and that she was discharged into Foster's care under the name Barlow..."

"What? She can't remember anything?" Maria asked horrified

Michelle shook her head, "worst of all she can't remember him." She sighed as she put her glass back down and rubbed her fingers across her forehead, "There's been no news from DC Malone; she doesn't know about Carla being in Edinburgh or her amnesia yet, which Peter reckons is a good thing. He didn't want us to put out a video message for a missing person since it might spook Foster into jumping to Ireland or Wales and will delay the whole process of finding them. I fear if Malone knew the extent of Carla's injuries she might press forward with that and we might lose her for good..."

"Look, I don't want to sound like I'm defending him cause I'm not," Leanne started, "but I don't think Frank is going to try to, you know, kill her...and I really don't think he wants to hurt her, either. I think he loves her, or at least he thinks he does, in a twisted way really."

"So what do you think he wants with her then?" Becky asked her eyebrow raising.

"Well to be honest, I think he wants her. I think he might be borderline obsessed with her! I mean the way he bought into the business, proposed so quick, and planned the wedding, and pushed her into wanting to buy a house…it's like he wanted this picture perfect life with her. And now that she's got no memory of him, I reckon he's going to try to achieve that with her now; without memories of her past, or Peter..." she shuddered as she choked on her next words, "or what he did to her..."

"Tony wanted that an' all with her too." Maria interjected. "You know the whole, 'picture perfect life'. One that had no obstacles in the way...like Liam..." Maria took a sip of her wine before placing her glass back down, her fingers nervously tapping the table, "you know that night I convinced her to move in with me for a bit, to get her away from where it happened for a while, Carla and I really opened up to each other about the whole Tony mess. She thought this whole thing with Frank was her karma; for not turning Tony in when he confessed; for running away and putting me in harm's way with him," Maria shook her head as she remembered the conversation, "I tried to tell her that it wasn't. That she weren't to know what would have happened between me and him, but she wouldn't believe it. She said that she'll never forgive herself for being scared and legging it; but that's what she was in the end: scared. Just before he confessed that he had Liam killed, he told her he would never hurt a hair on her head. He may have believed that at the time, but she didn't, and that's why she fled to L.A.; Knowing what he did a year later in the factory, it turned out her gut was right, weren't it?" Maria mumbled taking another sip of her drink.

"And her gut was right about Frank an' all." Michelle said sadly. "At least, towards the end of their relationship, that is. The night of their engagement dinner with his parents, she said he was getting really controlling….almost suffocating her with his plans of having kids and so on…she started to panic and she started kickin' back the booze. He got rough with her, dragging her over to have a 'word'. She said the look in his eyes scared her that night. And all she wanted was to get away from him as fast as she could."

Leanne was silent listening to this new revelation. 'So that's why she got in the car to drive away,' she realized, 'she was scared of him. Not that that excuses her nearly killing someone,' Leanne thought, but it gave her a better understanding of what had happened. Carla didn't just get into the car to drive because she was a selfish drunk; she did it because she was terrified. A new wave of guilt washed over her, remembering the horrible things she said to Carla the night the broken woman tried to kill herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Frank's workforce entering the pub led by Sally.

"Great job today girls! Mr. Foster will be thrilled when he comes back." Her voice irritatingly high. She looked over and saw Becky.

"Uhh excuse me lady, and just where were you today?" she inquired as she stood in front of her, pointedly ignoring the other three in the booth.

Becky swiveled slightly to face her, bending her knee and drawing her foot underneath her. "Oh that, yeah, you see here's the thing Sal: I uhhh ignored my principles and decided to work for an alleged rapist because I really needed the job you see, but ummm I can't really shake me morals anymore...so uh, yeah I quit." She said as she shrugged.

"Oh and you're just going to find another job that easily eh?" Sally pestered.

"Oh she doesn't need to love, she can come back to work for Underworld as a machinist." Michelle said bluntly, her anger rising to fever pitch.

"Seriously?" Becky asked, a smile tugging at her lips

"Of course. You can start tomorrow if you like."

"Yeah, alright," Becky nodded, "Cheers, Michelle,"

"Yeah, well, that's fine if you want to side with the competition, but I wouldn't be celebrating just yet! Underworld is gonna need all the help they can get, because soon enough Frank is going to shut Carla down," Sally said as she smirked and crossed her arms over her chest, "both business-wise and in court!"

Kevin, who was standing near the bar interjected, "Sal, trust me, just drop it eh?"

"Why should I?" Sally stated. "Carla is a liar. A hard faced cow, who uses men and spits them out whenever it suits her to do so…"

"Look, I'm warning you Webster…" Michelle warned her.

"Ask Maria! It wasn't so long ago that you couldn't stand the sight of her." Sally stated as the punters began quieting their voices to listen.

"Don't forget your role in that drama Sally." Maria warned. "And Carla and I have long since put that behind us. I may not have agreed with what she did but she loved Liam, and he loved her an' all. He loved us both and we both loved him and that is stronger than whatever poison you try to spur on."

"Look will someone get 'er outta my face before I do sommit I won't regret?" Michelle ground out, her eyes closing and raising her hand as if readying it to backhand Sally.

"What? You'll take me to court for telling the truth?" Sally sniped, "Oh no wait that's more your sister-in-law's style isn't it."

"That's it!" Michelle yelled as she pushed herself out of her seated position. Her arm began to swing in Sally's direction but Becky and Leanne took a quick hold of her, while Kevin grabbed Sally angrily and spun her around to face him.

"Whoa whoa whoa, eaaaasy there, Rocky! She's not worth it love." Becky said reassuringly to Michelle, who stood fuming, staring daggers into the back of Sally's head as she shrugged out of Kevin's grip.

"Get your hands off of me, Kevin!"

"Sal, I told you already just drop it, yeah?"

"Oh why should I?"

"Because Sal! We're all more than sure that Frank has followed Carla out to Scotland, alright?"

"Oh please, Kevin! That's just ridiculous! She's just making up more lies to stitch him up!"

"No, Sally. He left a message with Michelle's cousin where Carla was staying, saying he was Peter…now who else would have done that eh? Especially as Peter was standing next to us, when Carla called Leanne? We all heard her struggling with someone through the phone, before the line went dead! And now, no one knows where she is, so do yourself a favour and just keep your bloody mouth shut!" Kevin ground out.

"That's impossible," Sally retorted, "Frank is in France on a business trip."

"He's been charged with rape ,Sally!" Maria's voice boomed from behind her.

"And he was released on bail." Sally snapped back, spinning to face her.

"Yeah, on bail. What happens to someone's traveling privileges when they've been charged with a felony Sally?" Michelle asked as she angrily strode towards her, "'Cause we were told exactly what his restrictions were: must not approach Carla in any way, shape or form; must remain within a 100 mile radius of his home; must check in with the police at the station once a week; oh and most importantly, must not leave the bloody country! So a business trip to France? Around the same time Carla happens to be in Scotland? A place where he can get in and out of with no border checks? And you actually believed that he were going to France? Really?" As realization dawned on Sally, Michelle leaned in close to her, "you really are just a stupid, vindictive cow aren't you?" Michelle stated through gritted teeth.

"Bu-bu-but here's what I don't understand," Norris asked no one in particular. "How would Frank know that Carla went to Scotland?"

"Oh no," Eileen whispered at the bar as she buried her head in her hands.

"What?" Leanne asked.

"Lloyd overheard you Michelle, talking to Peter and Ciaran about it here at the pub the other day." Eileen said quietly, the guilt evident in her voice, "He mentioned it to me in passing at Streetcars, and I mentioned it to Becky and Beth at the factory. Frank was checking over our work nearby. He must've overheard. Oh God, Michelle I am so sorry."

Michelle grabbed her purse from the booth, before coming face to face with Eileen. "Well…at least now you will all have some more gossip to discuss now won't you?" she spat maliciously, "Hey, maybe you can all take bets on where he plans on dumping her body!" Her voice choked as tears streamed down her cheeks, and she stormed out of the pub, with Maria hot on her heels.

"Oi, Webster!" Becky called as she rose from the booth with Leanne. Sally turned to look at her, "You know life will continue to present many an opportunity in which to keep your mouth shut…maybe you should start taking advantage of 'em eh?"

When Sally failed to reply, Becky leaned in and lightly slapped her cheek twice, "See? You're getting there already!" And she and Leanne walked out of the Rovers.

"I'm just going to head to the ladies for a minute," Sally said, her earlier bravado now deflated as she began to doubt the stories Frank had spun her, "back in a tick..."

Entering the washroom she locked herself into a stall and leaned her back against it, exhaling a shuddering breath. She pulled out her cell phone and scrolled down to Frank's name, her finger hovering over it for a split second before she began furiously typing a message...


A loud knock startled her out of her dreamless sleep. Her eyes fluttered open in time to hear Frank open the door and a man wheel in a cart with their dinner order.

"Thank you my good man." Frank said as he slipped him a tip. He turned to face Carla, "Alright, now you get yourself comfortable and I'll bring you a plate."

"No," she started, her voice still hoarse, "I'd prefer to sit at the table if that's okay? I'm getting a little antsy being in bed all this time."

Frank gave a chuckle, "I see you haven't lost your impatient nature. Here let me help you over." He moved to stand next to her, reaching an arm around her back and under her far arm; his fingers grazing the side of her breast before resting on her rib cage. His other arm threw the blankets off her small frame before coming to rest on her shoulder. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, and leaned into him as he helped her to a standing position.

Her head was close to his, and she suddenly felt her stomach turn. Her eyes flitted up and gazed at the man next to her. She wasn't sure why her stomach kept doing that whenever he touched her or looked deeply into her eyes, but it was deeply unsettling. His eyes moved to look at her and she quickly looked away before they could meet, and she continued walking towards the table, leaning into him slightly when she felt herself becoming dizzy.

His fingers gently massaged her shoulder as he helped her to sit down, before gently laying a kiss on top of her head. She felt a shudder course involuntarily through her body.

Something about him was definitely setting off warning bells…

"I figured since you slept through lunch, that I'd order large enough spread for you to choose from."

"You spare no expense, do you Peter?" She quipped as he poured her a glass of orange juice.

"Frank, please." He corrected her. It was an involuntary response and he chastised himself for making the mistake. But the thought of her calling him by her 'love of her life's' name caused his anger to rise within him. He took a deep breath, his mind moving quickly to correct his error in the calmest way possible. He couldn't risk lashing out; not when he was so close to getting what he wanted.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but the nurse specifically said your name was Peter as I was being discharged." She raised her eyebrow inquisitively.

"Yes, I am sorry about the confusion, but I had to lie about my name."

Her curiosity was piqued. "And why would you do that?"

"I wanted to ensure your ex-boyfriend wouldn't find you if he came looking. So I used the first one that popped into my head. Here, allow me to introduce myself again my dear, I'm Frank Foster, your doting fiancée." He stuck out his hand for her to shake and flashed her a winning smile.

'Foster…' her mind raced trying to place the name. She tentatively shook his outstretched hand.

"Carla, apparently." He chuckled at her dry humour.

"Here you are," he stated handing her a plate of food and observing her. Even after the events of the past two days, her beauty seemed to light up the room. Her hair was unkempt, and the beautiful golden tan that she acquired in L.A., kissed her skin. Even in her disheveled state, she managed to stir his longing for her, and he felt his desire for her growing. He sat across from her and smiled, imagining what it would be like to hold her in the throes of passion once more.

Half an hour later, and she continued to toy with the pasta on her plate, before deciding instead to eat the slice of orange that garnished her glass.

"So this ex of mine is the cause of all of this?" she asked taking a bite out of the sweet fruit, effectively breaking the silence.

"Hmm mm" Frank uttered as he chewed on a forkful of steak. He swallowed and looked into her curious eyes. "He followed us out here, when he found out we stopped here for a business trip on the way back from L.A. He obviously waited until you were on your own. You two must have struggled; I made it back in time to see him running away and you on the floor unconscious."

"Why would he follow me out here?" She asked

"Because he's jealous. Upset that you chose me over him. He wants you back and I guess he feels that if he can't have you than neither can I." He feigned frustration and stood up, thrusting his hands into his pockets and effectively turning his back on her, smirking as he did so. He had his opportunity and he couldn't resist the chance to turn the screw. "Besides, its not the first time he's attacked you…"

"How'd you mean?" her voice was so small that he almost didn't recognize it. He turned to face her and eyed her before responding.

"He raped you Carla." He watched as her beautiful olive eyes brimmed with tears. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"What?" she choked out. He moved towards her and crouched down so that he was kneeling in front of her.

"It was about two months ago. God I didn't want you to find out so soon but I need you to understand that it's why I'm so protective over you, and why you're so uncomfortable around men right now, even me..." He said as he reached up and stroked her cheek. "He went to try to plead his way back into your life, you refused, telling him you loved me and were going to marry me, but he got angry. And when you asked him to leave he attacked you." He watched her face as she tried furiously to remember the event; tears of frustration making their way down her face. "That's why we went to L.A.; to get away from it all."

"Wh-what's his name?" her voice becoming firm.

"Carla, it's not going to help right now,"

"His name, Frank." Her voice was strong, but her eyes gave away her vulnerability, as they always did.

"Peter Barlow." He stated maliciously.

"But," she shook her head in confusion, "that's the name you used! Why-" she paused, looking off to the side before closing her eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked back to the man before her, "why would you use his name?"

"Because I was sure he wouldn't think that I would use his name. If he was going to start looking in hospitals for you, he certainly wouldn't be asking for his own name would he?"

"But he'd ask for mine..." She countered; 'Something doesn't add up' she thought.

"Your last name is not Gordon…it's Connor, Carla."

"Oh, but-" She breathed out. This was all too much to take in, and she leaned forward on the table squeezing the heels of her hands into her eyes. She felt his hand on her, gently rubbing small circles on her back.

"Look, this is too much for you right now. Let's just try to finish dinner. I'll answer any other questions you have, but that attack was so traumatizing to you the first time, my love, I can't bear to see you relieve it again." He reached his fingers under her chin and drew her face towards his so she was now looking into his eyes again. "Please, Carla?"

"Okay." She reluctantly agreed and gave a soft smile.

'That smile will be my undoing,' he thought to himself. He gently leaned in and kissed her lips; he lingered there for a moment hoping she would respond but she pulled away, licking her lips as a flush spread along her cheeks,

"Sorry, I uhh, I -I can't-" she stuttered nervously,

"No, no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I just couldn't resist..." he whispered, moving his hand gently through her hair and caressing her earlobe. He pulled back and looked into her eyes; his hand remained cupping her cheek and he wiped away the tears that fell down her face with his thumb. With a smile, he stood and went back to his seat, pleased that he was making inroads with her.

She continued to fiddle with her fingers as he ate dinner.

"Where's my ring?" she asked quite suddenly.

"Sorry?"

"My engagement ring? I don't seem to have one?" she raised her left hand to show him.

'Shit...'

His mind worked fast, thinking up a lie.

"It's gone. It was taken the night you were attacked. We were going to buy you a replacement out here. Maybe we'll head out in a few days when you're feeling up to it, yeah?" He answered, but she was distracted looking about the room.

"Do I not have a suitcase?" she asked, seeing only one opened and filled with men's clothes.

"The flight misplaced it on the way back from L.A."

"I seem to have all the luck don't I?" she grumbled leaning back into her chair and taking a bite of pasta.

"My, you are an inquisitive one today aren't you?" he laughed at her frustration.

"Must be in my nature-" she retorted before another wave of déjà vu hit her.

"Remind me not to play 20 questions with you." Frank continued, but she was no longer listening; images flashed in her mind as clear as if she was watching it on the television…

"…You have been asking questions." His Scottish accent dripped with accusation.

"Ahhh! Well you see I've got an inquisitive nature. If I had gone to high school in the states it would 'ave said that in my yearbook, 'girl most likely to ask questions'." She said her voice quivering a little as she tried to put on her strong act.

"I'm your husband." He said and she could feel the anger behind his words.

"Apparently so." She quipped; He wasn't the man she thought she knew.

"So if you have anything, you want to know, come to me." He stated. The atmosphere in the factory had changed drastically; it now had a rather dangerous feel to it.

"Well I will don't you worry." She said in an attempt to end the conversation.

"So come to me." He repeated and she felt a shudder flow through her body. Fear.

He noticed it and moved slowly towards her, anger and frustration fueling his steps, "Why do I sense that you're scared? Why would you be scared of me?"

"I'm not." She didn't even convince herself with that one.

He cocked his head to the side "I think you are." He said before darting his tongue across his top lip.

She nodded slowly, her eyes blinking as she tried to compose herself, "Now why would that be?"

He threw his arms up in frustration, "Another question!" he spat "at least this time you've asked me!"

"Maybe I've got a million different questions I wanna ask you." She clucked, her confidence coming back, but the look in his eyes frightened her. They darkened as they stared at her, realizing she knew…

"Carla!" Frank was leaning over her, curiosity evident on his face. "What's wrong? What are you remembering?"

"I was married before?" she asked disbelievingly. Frank sighed, relief briefly sweeping his features.

"Yes. Twice actually. You're not going to rest until you know are you?" she shook her head as she stared into his eyes, and he sighed again before pulling his chair around next to her. He held her hands in his, "The first was a bloke from Manchester, where you're from, Paul Connor? You were married for 8 years or so, before he died in a car accident. Was that who you remembered?"

"I-I don't think so..." she shook her head again "he had an accent..."

"Scottish?" she nodded and he continued, "yeah, that was your second husband: Tony Gordon. He died in an explosion at a factory."

"I was scared of him." She said looking down to the floor as confusion etched across her features. "Why was I scared of him?" She asked as her eyes met his again.

"I don't know sweetheart. It's not a relationship that you divulged much information to me about." He decided he needed to change the subject fast before she broached another question he may not be able to lie himself out of. "How about we finish dinner, I get you back under the covers, and then I'll pop out and pick up your prescription. It should be ready by now..."

She watched as he rose from his chair and pushed it back to the other side of the table, before sitting back down and digging into his steak.

She didn't know why, but she felt he was lying to her. That or he wasn't being completely honest.

No. The truth lay somewhere in the questions that were muddled in her mind.

She needed to draw them out. Somehow she needed to remember who she was. She was starting to have this uncomfortable feeling that her life depended on it…

Frank watched her for a moment as she began to pick at her dinner again, noticing the frustration that flashed across her features. He may have skewered her memories of Peter - for now, anyway - but talking about Tony would bring about the memories of the one person who could bring all her memories crashing back.

Liam Connor.

And once memories of Liam came back, so to would the truth about Peter.

The two men he couldn't hold a candle too. The two loves of her life...

The one from her past, and the one very much in her present...

He felt his phone vibrate, and pulled it out, sighing as he saw it was a message from Sally.

"I have to take this, won't be a minute," he said as he stood up and walked to the window to read the message, ensuring he kept his back to her.

From: Sally Webster

5:56PM

Frank,

I know you're not in France!

Where the hell are you?

Carla's gone missing in Scotland and everyone believes you're the one behind it!

Message me back, immediately!

Sally

'Damn...' he thought. He berated himself for not expecting news to travel quite that quickly. Knowing Peter, he was probably already out here, scouring the streets of Glasgow looking for her. It would only be a matter of time before he figured out they were in Edinburgh, if he hadn't already...

He would need to come up with another plan and quick.

He remained with his back to Carla, but could still feel her eyes as they bore into him.

He was starting to lose his control over her, he could feel it. At the rate she was asking questions, she'd have her memory back by the week's end.

He had to draw her back under his power again. And the only way to do that was to manipulate her insecurities as he had done so many months prior…