She was just so angry and she couldn't control herself, she craved a drink but she knew that was an impossibility as she was up the stick. Carla spent the evening curled up with Tony on the sofa, neither of them saying a word and only the TV on for background noise. Neither of them knew what to say to each other, no matter how many reassuring words Carla received Tony knew that it would be pointless and they would end up arguing and that was the last thing he wanted so they just got into bed and went to sleep except sleep didn't exactly wash over Carla easily. The next morning Tony was up before her and he sighed slightly before heading into the kitchen to make her some breakfast knowing she needed to look after herself and eventually she joined him in the kitchen.

"Here" he passes her a tea and she smiles slightly wishing deep down that it was coffee "Are you going into work today?"

"Not sure" she shrugs and Tony nods slowly passing her a croissant "Thanks"

"Are you ok?" he dares to ask and she just sighs closing her eyes at the thought there could be something wrong with her unborn child

"No but I need to focus on me for a bit," she says and Tony nods slowly thankful that she was putting herself first instead of work "I might go into work later"

"That's fine, just let me know if you're going in and then I'll come and see you" Tony kisses her on the side of the head and Carla nods with a small smile "You take it easy ok?"

"Yeah I will" Carla smiles watching Tony grab his briefcase and blazer "I'll see you when I see you"

"Bye Carla" Tony responds leaving the flat, she lets out a tired sigh before she found her feet taking her to the side unit, she reaches into the drawer and pulls out her ultrasound scan, it wasn't long before the tears fell from her eyes at the thought of losing something she didn't really want in the first place...


Being alone was disturbing her, she couldn't sleep, tolerate eating or even try to do the chores as her mind was just full of concern and regret. Her eyes routinely glanced to her bag where the paternity test results lay in the bottom of it, in a way she was torn whether to open them with Liam there, after everything he said, blaming her for not growing the baby properly, it hurt. She knew he was lashing out and that he was annoyed with her uncertain behaviour regarding those results but if she was honest with herself he caught her at a rubbish time. Rummaging around in her bag she pulled out the letter and sighed slightly as she fiddled with it in her hands. Her mind seemed to mull over every word that Liam has said to her this pregnancy and the more she thought about it the more tempted she was to open these results so that's what she did, open them.

"What are you doing here?" Liam mutters as Carla walks through the factory, she turns to look at him and smiles "Your husband's not here, he's in town-"

"I know"

"So what are you doing here?"

"I work here don't I Liam?" she chuckles kind of regretting coming into work after reading those results and his watchful eye as she headed into the office gave her the shivers

"That was nice, for her" Sally mutters and Liam glares at her before realising she was right so he walks into the office

"Is it safe to come in here?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" she sighs looking at her computer, she watches Liam sit down at his computer and raises her eyebrows soon enough as Maria walks into the office "Do you have an appointment-"

"Ignore her, its hormones" Liam retorts and Carla glares at him before shaking her head

"Dump him, Maria, if my Tony said that..."

"Do you ever shut up?" Liam glares at Carla who smirks, somehow annoying Liam was much better than dealing with her own personal problems "How about we go for lunch?"

"Yeah alright," Maria smiles looking at Carla and frowning "Rover's?"

"How imaginative" Carla retorts before storming out of the office unable to stomach the nauseating love

"What's her problem? Speaking about it now she doesn't look that pregnant-"

"The baby's not doing too well hence why I'm still here," Liam says and Maria sighs sadly "And she's dealing with it in her usual dismissive, aggressive way"

"Poor thing" Maria shakes her head and Liam nods sadly

"Hmm, don't tell anyone I told you though" Liam nods and Maria smiles "It's not common knowledge"

"I understand, let's head off for lunch yeah" Maria smirks and Liam groans in annoyance "Hopefully she will have some time to cool down"

"I suppose" Liam smirks back at her before Carla burst through the office door "I'm going for lunch is that-"

"It's fine" she cuts him off and Maria offers her a small smile "Just go"

"I'll be back later then-"

"Bye" Carla waves him off somewhat sarcastically as he leaves with Maria, she leans back against her chair with her eyes closed and her hand on her tummy before shaking her head gently at Liam taking liberties...


Carla texted Tony saying she was at work as she promised and received a short 'I love you' in return causing her heart to warm. A phone call from the bank distracted her and she found herself going into town to sort out whatever needed to be sorted out and after that dreadful meeting she endured with the bank manager there was no way she would be able to focus on work even if things were looking up finances-wise. That's when Carla called Leanne as she found herself thinking about the last conversation she had with her and with that both women found themselves sitting in a generic Costa in town with Leanne making snide comments about how Carla couldn't indulge in caffeinated coffee, but when she looked up she noticed the tears falling from her friends face.

"Hey, what's up? I'm sorry..." Leanne reaches out to take her hand and hold it causing a gently shake of Carla's head "Oh Carla has something happened?"

"It's the baby" she whispers and Leanne nods slowly, her heart pricking a tinge of sadness at the thought of what could be wrong "There's something wrong with it"

"Here's me thinking it was something to do with Liam," Leanne says gently and Carla just looks down at the floor "What's up with the baby?"

"It's not growing on track, foetal growth restriction, my baby could die" Carla whispers "Granted its the worst-case scenario but I'm scared"

"Have you spoken to Tony?" Leanne asks and Carla just shakes her head "I'm sure he would want to help"

"I try to speak to him but I just can't do it, Leanne, I can't speak to him because..." Carla shakes her head and Leanne gulps most likely knowing why

"Because he's not Liam?" Leanne whispers and Carla just throws her arms around her body needing comfort and Leanne soon found her heart breaking for her friend at keeping this all bottled up "This isn't healthy Carla for both you and the baby"

"I know," she says quietly "I just don't know what to do"

"I'm always here for you" Leanne assures her and Carla nods slowly with a small smile "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Can I trust you?" Carla asks, it was a weak question from her and Leanne places her hand on her friend's leg

"You can trust me, you can always trust me" she nods and watches Carla rummage around in the pocket of her coat, she pulls out the paternity test results and gives them to Leanne "Hang on, I thought these were going to Liam?"

"We argued about it after my checkup yesterday, it's a long but draining story" Carla sighs and Leanne opens the letter, she takes it and reads it before raising an eyebrow

"You'll figure it out, you're stronger than you think"

"You reckon?"

"I reckon so" Leanne nods and Carla smiles slightly at her friend offering her a tissue "I'm here for whatever you need"

"Thanks, Leanne, thank you"


Clarity would be amazing right now but for Carla, it wasn't there, instead it felt as if she was navigating murky waters on her own with an intense amount of entrapment. She went back to the factory and Liam was there, she checked her phone and sighed at Tony being called out to Cheshire on business and having to stay the night. At least she could work late as a distraction. Liam packed up his desk before frowning at Carla refusing to do the same so he perched himself on the edge of her desk and she frowned before leaning back against her chair not wanting to be that close to him, she even made a big deal of pushing her chair back as she did it to try and mark her territory and personal space.

"What?"

"Did you open them?" Liam asks and Carla nods, with that Liam saw red "You said you'd wait!"

"No I didn't" she laughs slightly "You were demanding that I wait, there is a difference Liam"

"I should have known you'd do it to spite me" he shakes his head disapprovingly and Carla laughs slightly at his comment "You have to go and be in control, it's always about you-"

"Excuse me, I am trying to do what's best for my unborn child here and you throwing accusations and demanding things from me is far from helping me do that"

"You're so pathetic you know that-"

"Screw you Liam" Carla snaps and he groans in annoyance at her tone "At least I won't need you anywhere near me or this baby as you're not its father, the sooner Tony gets rid of you the better"

"You're lying-"

"Am I?" she chuckles slightly and Liam looks at her rather downbeat and confused allowing Carla to sense an immense amount of hurt "Is it not how you planned it out in your head Liam?"

"Stop this"

"Is it that you wanted to be the father of my kid?" she asks him in an overly condescending tone "Oh poor Liam, what shall he do now? No doubt go back to his wife and kid, at least he'll have one at the end of the day whereas me and Tony we have to watch our kid fight through the odds of survival"

"You're a bitch"

"You're not much better, just go Liam, I'm sick of the sight of you"

"Gladly" he grabs his jacket roughly before storming out of the office causing Carla to jump slightly as the front door to the factory went, with that, she broke down and admitted to herself that her feelings for Liam would never leave her or lay dormant when he was around

"Bastard" she mutters through streams of tears, there was one thing she did have though and that was the truth as her hands brought up the piece of paper from her coat pocket, her eyes just about able to make out the endless table of numbers before her eyes settled on the box at the bottom at the near hundred per cent chance that Liam was her baby's father leaving her to question why she had lied in the first place...