Hello and welcome! I wrote these two chapter a while ago and never got around to posting them, but I thought I may as well. I don't exactly have a plan for this story just the basic outline, but I think it is something I would like to continue. This doesn't follow the storyline of the show. Please let me know what you think about this and whether it's worth continuing or not. Hope you enjoy x

Chapter One

September 2015

It was September 2015 and for the first time in months, Carla felt somewhat settled with her life. After the past year and a half, she'd forgotten what normality felt like. She put that down to being with Nick, he was exactly what she needed and that was stability. It was the same for him too, he wasn't deluded and knew that Carla came with a whole lot of baggage but after Erica and her miscarrying his baby, he found peace and comfort with Carla. Carla couldn't lie, it did feel a little strange at first due to the fact she was in a relationship with her exes, ex's ex but Nick assured her she was just overthinking the situation and that they were meant to be together. Carla had mainly thought of this due to a silly comment made by Leanne, but she should've expected it from her anyway. All Carla wanted was a quiet, happy life.

Carla and Nick didn't actually live together but they both lived in Victoria Court. When they weren't working, they spent their spare time together, whether that was just watching a film in either one of their flats or going out for dinner. They hadn't actually been together all that long. It must've been around a month or so, but Carla was determined to make it work. She wanted to prove to herself that she was capable of have a stable relationship and prove to other people that she was able to have a solid relationship.

It was a sunny and rather warm day for September and Carla was currently in the process of getting ready for the workday. She didn't have all that much planned today, mainly just some paperwork to do and sourcing new materials for the latest order. Carla was in the kitchen of her flat applying a layer of lip gloss to her lips when there was a knocking at her door. She knew exactly who it would be and got up to open the door. "Good morning." It was Nick. He was standing at her door with a smile on his face. Every morning, he would go to Carla's flat so that he could walk her to work and sometimes pop into Roy's for a coffee and breakfast.

"Morning." She replied as she gave him a quick kiss on the lips before returning to the kitchen counter where her handbag was. "Right, I'm ready." She said as she flung her bag over her shoulder and picked up her keys from the sideboard.

They made the short walk to Roy's and were soon enough both sat at a table drinking a cup of coffee each. "Have you got much going on today?" Carla asked as she sipped her hot drink.

"Not that much really, I've got a few meetings with the suppliers this afternoon… Sort the finances out, you know all the boring stuff that comes with running your own business." Nick said with a smile. Carla nodded as she very much understood what running your own business feels like.

"How about when we're both finished for the day we go out for dinner or something? … It is Friday night after all." She asked.

"Sounds like a plan… I'll get us a reservation for the fancy Italian in town for say 7." Nick said. Nick always liked to take Carla to best places even though she assured him that they didn't have to always go to the five-star places. However, he wouldn't have any of it and wanted nothing more to spoil Carla. He thought she deserved nothing less, especially after everything she's been through over the years.

"Right, well I better go and sort out the feral lot." She said with a smirk, referring to her employees. Nick chuckled in response. Carla then got up from her seat and gave Nick a kiss goodbye.

The workday seemed to absolutely drag for Carla. It didn't help that Sally was Carla's personal assistant and would be far too overbearing. Carla knew that Sally had the potential to be a businesswoman like she so desperately dreamed to be, but Carla didn't need Sally as her assistant manager because being her PA was already too much.

Carla was sitting at her desk, filling in the paperwork for one of the orders. She was mentally planning what she was going to wear for her date with Nick tonight. She wasn't sure what pair of heels to wear with her dress. It was between a black pair or a red pair, she thought the red ones would look better with the dress she was planning on wearing but knew the black ones were more comfortable, then again pain is beauty and beauty is pain. However, Carla was soon disturbed from her thoughts when Michelle came into the office looking like she had some gory gossip. "Is everything alright, 'Chelle?" Carla asked as Michelle was standing in front of her.

"You're going to want to sit down for this." Michelle said taking a deep breath. Carla looked down and frowned considering she was already sitting down.

"I am sitting down." Carla said and chuckled at the same time.

"You'll never guess who's back." Michelle said with rather wide eyes.

"Who?" Carla asked, clearly baffled by Michelle's strange behaviour.

"Peter." Michelle said bluntly which soon made the smile on Carla's face drop.

"What?" Carla replied as she stood up. "You are joking… Right?" Carla asked. Michelle shook he head.

"I was outside of the Rover's and Ken was on the doorstep and ever so kindly informed me that Peter was on his way and that he plans on sticking around or something." Michelle said as she waited for Carla's reaction. "Then no more than two minutes later out Peter comes of a taxi… I didn't speak to him or anything, I just went inside and asked Steve if he had any idea about this which he apparently didn't." Michelle said.

Carla wasn't sure what to feel. She hadn't forgotten what Peter had done and how he made her feel and now she could be face-to-face with him at any given moment. "Oh, right." Carla said as she leaned against her desk. "I guess I should've known he wasn't going to stay away forever, I just didn't expect it to be like right now." Carla mused. "But… I've moved on in my life, I'm happy with Nick and I'm not going to let anyone ruin that especially Peter." Carla said confidently but Michelle was worried this could set Carla back.

Michelle left the factory after Carla assured her that she was alright about the situation. However, Michelle wasn't convinced and knew Carla would most probably spend the rest of the day stewing. Carla flopped down on to her desk chair and sighed. She was more determined than ever to make her relationship with Nick work.