The whole thing immensely worried him, it wasn't because she was suddenly back in his life but it was more of the fact that this secret could blow up at any point. There was still something special about Carla nonetheless and her speciality to him was something that he wished was still in his life. He did love Michelle though which was odd in itself considering he came here to find Carla, he really just needed to speak to her in a calm environment just speaking not that it didn't feel right considering she couldn't actually use her own voice and because of that it felt as if it would remove all meaning from the conversation.
"You're in a world of your own you are" Michelle groans as they walk down Victoria Street, Lucas sighs "What's going on Lucas?"
"Ignore me I'm just having one of those days" he whispers looking at her, he pecks her on the lips "I'll be fine later"
"You best be" she comments with a smirk "Especially with what we have planned"
"I will be don't you worry" he says quietly before gasping as Toyah comes out of the cafe holding her foster child's hand "Sorry Toyah"
"Oh it's fine, don't worry. It's been a bit hectic these last few days that's all" Toyah grins, Michelle smiles
"Up!" Sammy exclaims, Toyah rolls her eyes and lifts the child onto her hip
"Hey Sammy, it's nice to meet you again" Michelle smiles, Lucas just stares at the small boy
"I-I need to go" he panics before walking off, Michelle sighs in realisation about how insensitive she was being
"Is he ok?" Toyah questions "It looked like he's seen a ghost"
"He'll be fine" Michelle blags "Anyway I need to grab some breakfast then head to the hospital"
"Leanne said she saw an ambulance" Toyah sighs "Is Carla ok?"
"Not really but she's in the right place now" Michelle confirms "Anyway I must dash, it was nice seeing you again"
"You too" Toyah responds softly before walking away, Michelle sighs and pulls out her phone, her eyes widening in response to Peter's message
"What the hell do you think you are playing at Peter?" Michelle exclaims as he groans in annoyance "You're drinking when Carla is once again lying in a hospital bed needing our support and our help"
"Oh leave off I didn't send an SOS so you could have a go" he spits tilting the bottle to his lips, Michelle swipes it off of him "Oi!"
"Pour it down the sink" she states with a stern glare, she uses all of her strength to pull him up "Pour it."
"Uh Michelle" he groans quietly closing his eyes and leaning on the counter
"Otherwise I'll do something you regret" she responds, Peter glares at her and grabs his jacket before stumbling out of the door "Well you asked for it I guess"
Michelle raced to the hospital to see Carla, she wasn't going to reveal about Peter but she knew she was already running late due to Peter's relapse once more. She understood it was hard and she appreciated him contacting her but in all honesty, this made her respect Carla more as if she was honest she didn't know how her friend managed to cope with it all. In a way, she felt guilty for taking the tough love approach with Peter as he probably could have done with a bit of sympathy and understanding. Michelle frowned when she looked into Carla's hospital room and entered.
"What are you doing here?"
"N-Nick w-was…" she sighs closing her eyes and gulping "H-He…"
"I was just dropping by as I heard she was back in here. I wanted to offer my support" he smiles, Michelle nods glancing between them both thinking how unlikely of Nick this was
"Right," Michelle says placing another bag down on Carla's bed which she rummages through
"Well I'll head off now" Nick smiles "As Michelle's here"
"B-Bye" Carla smiles as Nick nods leaving the room
"What was that about then?" Michelle questions with a smirk, Carla pulls a face "Is he the guy you slept with"
"N-No" she shakes her head, Michelle raises her eyebrows at her "W-What…"
"Your voice has gotten worse sweetheart" she whispers, taking Carla's hand, the tears spring to her friend's eyes "Hey, what's up?"
"N-Noth...th…" she lets out a sob, Michelle hushes her gently as well as brushing her fingers through her friend's hair
"It was Nick wasn't it?" she questions, Carla avoids her gaze "Carla?"
"H-He w-was t-th-there" she says quietly fiddling with the sleeves on her jumper
"Sweetheart you need to rest your voice," Michelle says passing her the phone, Carla takes it but then drops it "Hey are you ok?"
"C-Can't" she cries, Michelle hushes her gently "I-I d-don't know...know wh-o i-it wa...s...s"
"I don't believe you sweetheart" Michelle shakes her head "I'm in denial at the fact Carla Connor wouldn't know who she had slept with. It must be hard to keep up that pretence sweetheart and exhausting. You can tell me, I won't tell Peter"
"I-I'm sorry," she says closing her eyes as the tears flood them
"Was it Nick?" she questions, Carla looks up at her and gulps "You just need to say yes or no sweetheart"
"N-No" she shakes her head closing her eyes and letting the tears fall "H-He…"
"He knows who it was though"
"What?" Michelle's eyes widen, Carla just gulps at her "How do you mean?"
"We were all blind drunk drinking at the bar, a group of us. Adam was there, Nick was there, other people were there"
"Other people being?"
"I don't want to hurt you"
"No…" Michelle gulps as the tears fill her eyes "Lucas was there wasnt he?"
"I'm sorry"
"Who was it, Carla? Who did you sleep with?"
"Please stop"
"I'm not stopping until you tell me"
Carla presses the call button on the side and a nurse walks in
"T-Tired" she states looking at the nurse, the nurse smiles sympathetically
"I think we should let her get some sleep, it'll be good for her recovery. You can come back during the evening visit"
"It's fine" Michelle glares at Carla discreetly who gulps "Have a good rest"
"W-Will d-do" Carla says quietly allowing the nurse to help her lie down as her back was really sensitive at the moment, she lets out a sigh of relief because the last thing she wanted to do was open another can of worms
"Where's Lucas?!" Michelle storms into the office at Underworld, Sarah chuckles slightly "It's not funny where is he?"
"Gone on a coffee run at Roy's and then he's gone to get more petty cash" Sarah informs her "Can I leave a message?"
"Actually," Michelle says quietly going to Lucas' portfolio and opening it, she takes his keys "I want to put together a surprise meal for us, so if you could keep schtum about that?"
"Of course" Sarah pulls a face knowing her behaviour was very weird "Sure, I won't tell a soul"
"Good" Michelle smirks as Toyah enters the office "Hey Toyah"
"I thought I'd give you these client files," Toyah says passing them to Sarah "They should all be there, all of last week's invoices and stuff like that"
"Thank you" Sarah smiles placing them on the desk tidy "Well I hope you and Lucas have a good time"
"Yeah me too" Michelle grins throwing the keys up in the air then catching them once more "Remember don't breathe a word"
"My lips are sealed"
Michelle travelled to Lucas' flat and let herself in, she had gloves on as it seemed as if she was doing some sort of seedy crime against lying men. She bit her lips and worked on tying her hair up before heading into Lucas' bedroom, she reached up and grabbed the box from the top of the wardrobe and opened it. She smiled slightly at the picture of Lucas holding his son, she sat on the edge of the bed and continued to rummage through the box pulling out another photo of his son when he was around one. She turned it over and blinked twice.
"What the?" she questions reading the signature on the back "Twenty seventeen…"
"Alright give it up now" Lucas appears from the door "You really thought you could get away with it didn't you? You Connor ladies are too nosey for your own good"
"How did you even" she breathes out pressing a hand to her heart, he holds up the spare keys "No flies on you eh?"
"Funny," he remarks with a smirk "Why are you here Michelle?"
"You're acting all weird around Toyah. I just wanted to help" she lies, Lucas narrows his eyes in suspicion
"Now the truth"
"That is the truth"
"You're lying" he states looking at the box and sitting beside Michelle, he places his hand on her leg and she covers his hand with hers
"I spoke to Carla-"
"Oh?"
"Did you sleep with her at that conference?" she questions looking into his eyes, Lucas frowns
"No" he shakes his head "I was there though, loads of people were there"
"Do you know who did?"
"Not a clue, sorry" he whispers, Michelle nods slowly biting her lip "Why are you actually here Michelle?"
"Your son, he was born in 2017"
"That's correct"
"When did you meet Carla?"
"Michelle I don't want to answer that"
"Why?"
"Because I don't have to answer to you"
"Is it because...is it because your son is her son as well?" she questions as the tears spring to her eyes "Please dont lie to me because I will just ask her"
"What made you come to that conclusion?"
"The date" she shows the photo "Carla came back gravely ill in December of 2017, she was different"
"I don't want to talk about it"
"Lucas I won't judge you-"
"So you judge her?"
"No!" she exclaims "I don't judge either of you"
"Michelle" Lucas lets out a sigh shaking his head "You don't have to get wrapped up in this because it's not nice, ok? You can walk right out of that door now-"
"I'm not doing that!" she exclaims "I want answers, Lucas!"
"Ok fine" he thrusts his arms forward going into his wallet and pulling out a picture, he passes it to Michelle
"No…" she trails off, the tears falling down her face "God no, Lucas...please no"
"I'm sorry" he whispers hoarsely as she falls to the floor sobbing, he sits down with her as she sobs, the photo gripped firmly in his hands
"That's why you ran off, you stupid idiot!" she punches him in the chest as he sobs into her head "Lucas speak to me!"
"I'm sorry I didn't know how to feel any more"
"Does Carla know?" she questions looking into his eyes "Does she know, answer me Lucas!"
"No she doesn't!" he shouts before crying over and over "I'm sorry"
"How did you know where she was?"
"I was a wreck Michelle" he cries, she places a hand on his back "I was a wreck, she never told me anything I tried so hard to find her but you know what Carla's like she's a closed book. When she found out she was ill, she was already a fair few months along in her pregnancy, we knew the baby would struggle as well as her body. I would have always supported her...anyway, when he was born she ran, literally left me holding the baby and I couldn't cope with raising him, I couldn't. I was weak to put it lightly and I made the executive decision to have him fostered until I was ready"
"How did you find her then?"
"It was a complete chance. I had lost my job down south so I came up here looking for work and of course, you get wind of people in the same trade. I went to those conferences to see if anyone would take me on of course I see her there...we were both drunk we didn't talk about him and she was upset about something so out of respect and due to how delicate the situation was I couldn't put her through that not when she was so upset"
"Does...does she know what happened to him?" Michelle asks with a sad smile, Lucas shakes his head
"The birth was complicated, he was early understandably. She got scared after giving birth and she clammed up. It was a big change for her. She never saw him once Michelle I mean I get it I do but not to even see her son once...it doesn't bear thinking about. Every day when I think about how she could just...not see him then I think maybe it was for the best, for the both of us. Our fling was a mistake, her mind was elsewhere and I was a distraction. Of course, she then got pregnant, she kept it from me until it became noticeable. I helped her but she didn't show any gratitude did she? Maybe it's for the best…"
"Do you want him? Your son…" Michelle sniffles, Lucas nods sadly "But...you don't want to do it alone?"
"I tried to do it alone Michelle," he says as the tears fall down his face "I was never good enough for him or her and I know that now"
"Oh babe" she brings him in for a hug, he wraps his arms around her body "It's ok...everything will be ok?"
"These photos are the few little memories I have of him but now there's just going to be physical ones isn't there?"
"I'll help you" she states, Lucas looks up at her and frowns "I will help you"
"Help...me?" he questions, Michelle nods eagerly "Michelle I don't want your sympathy, I don't want your help I just want…"
"Lucas, I love you" she whispers, Lucas looks into her eyes and then kisses her "I just don't appreciate being lied to"
"I'm sorry. I was just trying to do what was best for our relationship. I didn't want you to feel torn"
"I don't feel torn, now that you've said all that you have...I want to help, whether that's helping you get your son back...or just being your girlfriend-"
"Michelle I want you to know that whatever happens this could get nasty," he says, Michelle chuckles slightly "When Peter finds out…"
"It'll be ok because that's not our problem right now," Michelle says quietly "Plus I think the wellbeing of a child is much more important than Peter Barlow's ego"
"You seem to have a hatred towards him" Lucas comments narrowing his eyes "Has he done something?"
"Relapsed, caught him red-handed with a bottle of scotch" Michelle sighs "I couldn't be dealing with it"
"Fair enough" Lucas mumbles "What about Carla?"
"I'll deal with her" she confirms, Lucas nods slowly "Are you ok?"
"I'm just thinking" he whispers closing his eyes "About how lucky I am to have you...and about how Barry and Helen will take to us being in a relationship; the unlikely duo nonsense"
"Ew I hadn't even thought" she pulls a face before laughing slightly "They will be fine, you're much better than the others I've been with so that gives you a glowing review"
"We'll see" Lucas smiles slightly before sighing "I just hope we're doing the right thing thats all"
"Time will tell Lucas, time will tell…"
