When It Kicks In
Eva had slept for about an hour the previous night.
She had received a phone call from both her brother-in-law and her best friend, telling her that Leanne had been brutally attacked by Callum when she had made her way home after their night out.
She couldn't get back to sleep after they'd given her the ins and outs of the attack; the bruises, the cuts and potentially the scars. But more than that, the guilt and worry was beginning to drown her body; leaving her stressed out all night long. She knew that what she had done was wrong and that what she had done with Aidan was just between them; she knew secrets never stayed secret and at some point her actual boyfriend would discover the awful truth.
It would kill him. Destroy him. And them. Right before Jason would want to kill Aidan too.
She was using Leanne as her excuse, her get out of jail free card from the guilt and the lack of sleep. That was what she was telling Aidan and what she would later tell Jason. It wasn't that she had done the dirty with someone else but it was worry, fear and stress.
Leanne had been up for an hour, sat at the kitchen table in hers and Nick's flat; stewing in her own thoughts. The police had rung and even stopped by since she woke up three hours earlier. They had told her and Nick that they had no choice but to let Callum go as someone had delivered him an alibi; one that the police said they had to go with.
She couldn't get her head around it though. Who would believe him over her? The police had photographic evidence of what he had done to her and that wasn't the first thing Callum had done to her either. Perhaps she should ask Sally and Tim to give witness statements for when he tried to strangle her in broad daylight. But, as the policeman revealed, the person that had helped Callum declared he had been provoked earlier on in the day and his car had been scratched. This person also knew that Nick had punched Callum to the floor and had given him a split lip.
This was all getting too much for her and sitting in the flat, festering with each piece of bad news she got made everything so much worse. She was just hoping, praying and crossing everything that Callum would stay well away from them all. But then again, all of the Platt's wanted to see the back of Callum.
Nick soon came through the door, giving her a sympathetic look that she had seen before. A number of times before. He pulled out the cream dining chair next to hers and sat down.
"I've just seen Sally Webster." He said as Leanne rested her head on her elbows, avoiding meeting his eyes.
"And that's supposed to help me because...?"
"She told me about the Bistro, last night. Everybody knows about the miscarriage. Even people in the Weatherfield Arms!"
"I didn't realise our lives were that important." Leanne replied sarcastically, gaining an eye roll from Nick. "Is that all you have to say then? Give me a lecture?"
He shook his head. "There's nothing we can do now about him, you know that don't you?"
She nodded. "Yep. I'm not as thick as I look y'know."
"I never said you were thick Leanne."
"You didn't ave to."
She sighed deeply, slamming her face into her hands. "Look at us...can't even say a civil word to each other."
"Do you think now is a good time then to talk about the baby?"
She raised her head slowly. "If...if that's what you want."
"No. Do you feel ready to talk yet?"
"Yeah...guess I do."
"I've been lousy," Nick admitted. "I haven't been here for you when you have needed me and I know I've been dragged into all this Callum rubbish. I should be focusing on you and me, not them."
She touched his hand in disagreement. "They're your family. They should always come first and I should have understood better. They've been supportive of me when the truth about Simon came out- I guess the favor needs to be repaid."
He smiled back. "And the baby...did you mean what you said? You know, that you never want to try again?"
She wasn't all that sure. She wanted a baby, yes, of course she did. But what Leanne didn't want was the tears, trials and all the other crap that came with it. And what if she had another miscarriage? She wasn't sure she could brush herself off again if that were to happen.
He knew it too. In her eyes she tried to hide it, but it was as clear as David's sarcasm that she was just as scared as he was.
"I guess so..." Leanne admitted, twiddling her thumbs as she sat in her dressing gown, despite wearing her jeans and jumper underneath. "But I need time Nick. We both do."
Leanne wasn't sure herself. She knew the joys of being a parent pretty well: parents evening's with Simon, footie matches that ended with medals and trophies and spending hours of happy time with the child you would love no matter what.
But, she also knew the bitter, violent side to parenting and starting a family.
The miscarraiges, the building of excitement, telling yourself that the future is bright and that everything will be perfect for just once. It never lasts. The perfection. It comes crumbling down around you, smashing into heaps and heaps of memories; so distant that you wonder if they ever did exsist. And then the other memories descend on her, the abuse, the hard hitting truth that at one point, Simon had beaten her so black and so blue that she needed counselling. He needed counselling and she needed Nick.
"I know, I know what you mean. I don't want a baby straight away because I think you and I should concentrate on us. We should try and get back to normal- you know, me and you normal."
Leanne half-smiled. She was pretty sure she had never experienced normal before but if it was normality Nick was after, that was what they were both going to get.
"You're right." She agreed. "I want to focus on us and get used to everything before we rush into things like...well...like a baby."
He nodded too. "Yeah...maybe we could chuck a wedding in before having a baby. You know, for old time sake?"
She let out a chuckle that had been wanting to come out for days. "I can't gurantee I'll make it down the aisle."
"I thought we were going for a hat-trick?"
"I thought we were taking things slowly!" Leanne laughed.
"When have we ever done that, hey? Slowly? That's not in your vocabulary!"
She smacked his arm playfully. "Cheeky bastard!"
"Speaking of bastards, what are we going to do about Callum?" Nick asked, darkening the once light mood again.
She sighed deeply, closing her eyes and just before her mind hit the play button to repeat the attack, her mouth opened. "Nothing. I want us to stay away from that man for good."
"Leanne, I don't think I can trust myself. I don't like knowing he's out there, living and breathing the same air as us. I want to kill him. I could kill him."
Her hand reached for his, grazing her fingers across his. "I know you want to keep me safe but I need you here, not in some cell in a prison. Callum is scum and he will get his comeuppance one day. Men like 'im always do."
He nodded, agreeing as much as he didn't want to. "I guess you're right. But I know he belongs in a gutter."
"I think just about everybody does." Leanne replied before standing and flicking on the kettle for her and Nick.
She had felt awful.
Dreadful.
Regretful.
Ever since she had shouted at Peter the previous night. Yes, she was furious and he had crossed the very thin line between interfering and helping. Carla was a fighter, not a victim; people came crawling to her in a crisis and never the other way around. For Peter to then get involved, intervene and pay those people behind her back it made her look weak and unproffesional. And that was something Carla never was.
It had infuriated her so much that she had screamed at him.
But what infuriated her more was what she felt when he walked out the office door and when she lay in her pristine bed, all alone. It was the strange sense that she wanted him to risk it all for her, do something so radical and stupid just for her. It amazed her, thrilled her and pissed her off all at once. She had always felt that Peter did all those three things to her as well. It was just him.
Aidan had been rambling on at her for over an hour about a new material that had been all the rage at a fashion show somewhere. She couldn't care less, biting the pen lid on her black biro as he carried on nagging. Her mind foccussed on one person and just how he was feeling.
"Carla...Satin or silk?" Aidan lifted up two swatches of material for her to see. At the mention of her name her eyes flicked up and he finally had her attention.
"Huh?"
"Definitely silk Mr Connor!" Sally said, handing him a coffee.
"Oh yeah," Alya agreed. "I think that silk is much nicer...very classy, just like you Mr Connor."
Carla suddenly realised what was going on. "Ah yeah, silk Aidan."
"Good." He said. "At least we agree on some things."
"My wedding dress is silk." Sally boasted.
"Smashing." Carla said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
"How is the wedding planning coming along?" Alya asked, leaning over her little desk to speak to Sally.
Sally leaned in closer, hoping the other two wouldn't hear. "Great yes, gave the final money in yesterday. Did you see your account got topped up too?"
Aidan's ears pricked up at the mention of that account and it being topped up. Crap. Carla knew what was going to follow.
He looked at Carla who avoided his eyes. "Sally?" Aidan called. "What do you mean it was topped up?"
"Ah! Come on Mr Connor!" Sally giggled. "It must have been you, Carla didn't do it."
"It's Mrs Connor to you Sally." Carla said loudly.
Alya chuckled as Aidan shook his head profusely. "I didn't do it. I haven't got a bean. Carla, do you have some lottery winnings you are suddenly sharing?"
"No," She answered flatly. "It doesn't matter does it? As long as it's all sorted now, which it is. Now get back to work Sally. This is a factory not a Bridal Fayre."
Aidan leaned over Carla's computer, lowering his voice so the other two could not here him.
"Are you gambling again?" He asked, genuine concern in his voice.
Carla shook her head. "Course not. It was...it was Peter who did it."
"What?" Aidan whispered. "How?"
"He nicked the keys that were in the pub. I haven't changed the password of the account in ages so he got into it and put the money in."
"Why?"
"He said he did it for me." Carla replied.
"Maybe you ought to thank him." Aidan suggested. "That's a pretty noble thing that he has done for you. Dug us out of a massive hole too. He must think the world of you to do that."
Carla nodded. "Yeah...he must."
After they had watched most of the daytime programmes on the television, Leanne put on her usual clothes and decided it was time to pull herself together and see her son. It had been nearly five days since they had seen each other last because so much had got in the way and she was hopeful he had been mature enough for Peter.
"Right, I'm going to see Si." Leanne grabbed her black coat and put her arms through the sleeves.
Nick poured himself a strong coffee with two sugars. He had slept terribly, watching her all night as she tossed and turned restlessly, unable to sleep at all. He had been on protection duty; scrutinising her every breath, just to make sure she had managed to breath in and out. His heart had been in his mouth when David had phoned and he was still so cautious about letting her leave alone.
"Is that a good idea? On your own?"
"Well yeah, that was the idea. Why? Am I no longer capable of walking down a road to Ken's?"
He raised an eyebrow, taking a big sip of his piping hot, black coffee. "Why don't you wait for me to finish this and then I'll come see him too?"
She raised her hand. "I want to talk to him on my own. About the baby and everything else. I owe it to him."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. I'll see you in a bit," she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before grabbing her keys and leaving the flat.
Leanne sat at the dining table in the Barlow's living room with Simon and a half-eaten parkin cake that Ken had bought. She loved the cake normally, but she had only managed to pick her way through the wedge of the ginger cake Ken had cut her.
Simon looked up at her from under his brown eyelashes that were as dark as the thoughts in his young head.
"Are you okay Mum? Your eye looks really sore." Simon asked kindly.
She nodded. This was the Simon she knew so well. "Yeah, I'm okay thanks sweetheart. How are you doing? I know everything's been up in the air since..."
"You had a miscarraige." Simon finished her sentence.
"I'm guessing your Dad told you then."
"I had kind of figured it out for meself. You and Nick hadn't come to pick me up from school and Dad was fussing."
"I'm sorry we kept it from you." Leanne apologised, staring at the auburn crumbs on the plate below.
"It's okay." Simon smiled. "I'm used to it all now. It actually feels a bit odd if summat doesn't go tits up in our family."
"Simon! You shouldn't swear!"
"Oh come on Mum, swear word or not you know that it is true!"
Leanne giggled. "I guess you're right matey. How's school then?"
"Great. We're learning about volcanoes in geography. I love 'em and I know Nick likes volcanoes too. Could he come and help me with my project I'm doing?"
"Well..." Leanne paused. He could sense something was amiss.
"You don't want me no more." Simon sighed.
"No! No! It's not that at all! It's just...what if we see if you can keep up the good behaviour, then we will have you stay at the flat some time. This weekend maybe? We could go to the fireworks at the Rovers after Nick and I have helped you with the volcanoes?"
Simon looked excited and he couldn't hide the childish squeal that came out of his mouth. "Yeah! That sounds amazing! I can't wait for Friday night now!"
"Me neither." Leanne smiled genuinely.
Kylie was cleaning up the mess that Callum and his heavies had left in the house, sweeping the broken bits of glass up as Gail and Bethany attempted to clean upstairs. It was when she was on the floor, brushing up bits of a candle holder that had smashed, that Callum strolled in the house casualy.
"Oh look," he began smugly. "You on your knees, where you belong."
Kylie stood up so fast the room started spinning. The venom was burning inside of her and she was tempted to smash his face in for everything he had done.
"You. You're evil!"
"Ah." He chuckled. "You mean Nick's precious girlfriend? I taught her a valuable lesson."
"You're sick, y'know that! She had a miscarriage the other day- she didn't need this too!"
Callum pulled a false sad face. "Oh-no. How tragic. Oh well, it's one less Platt to have to deal with."
"That is vile." Kylie gasped. "You 'ave a son, how could you say that?!"
"It's true though. It's one less that I'll have to screw or screw over."
You belong in prison."
"You belong in a strip club Kylie. Swinging round poles for a bit of money." Callum jeered.
"Get out, now. Before I do somethin' I'm gonna regret." Kylie spat, gritting her teeth at him.
Gail rushed down the stairs with Bethany hot on her heels.
"Get out of my home, now!" Gail shouted as loudly as she possibly could. "As if this family hasn't suffered enough in the past few days."
"Oh yeah," Callum jeered, pointing his finger. "I heard about the baby. It's awful innit? They would have been dreadful parents anyway, especially your precious Bistro Boy. I mean, he's not wired up right."
"That's it!" Gail screamed, picking up a vase, one that he hadn't smashed when he trashed the house and angrily hurled it at him. It narrowly missed, smashing against the sable wallpaper instead.
Callum laughed. "Nice try granny." He sauntered out the door that he had left open, walking out onto the street where David and Max were, walking back from school.
"David, can we go to the park later and play with my new football?" Max asked sweetly, swinging his lunchbox in his left hand, his right hand holding David's.
"Sure thing mate, we can go before tea, can't we?"
Max smiled until he saw Callum heading towards them both.
"Hiya Maxy." Callum said with a cheeky grin.
Max shook his head at his Dad. "Get rid of him Dad." Max shouted, turning to David.
"He's not yer Dad, I am!"
Kylie rushed over with Gail just as Callum went for his son, attempting to grab him and scare some sense into the kid. He knew it usually worked with other people so surely it would work on Max. He was vulnerable, naive and scared like most of Callum's victims.
So scared that Max did the only thing he could.
He ran in the direction of the street, straight into the path of Nick in his Bistro van.
"No!" Kylie yelled.
The others could just stand and watch as the brakes screeched and Max fell to the floor.
Thank you for all your great reviews and that you are still reading this story as I know a lot have given up.
The next chapter should be up fairly soon but it depends on reviews or if I get any! :-)
Anyway, next time there will be some twists that are a little surprising but I hope you all like them and they are not too obvious!
