A/N: Brief references to child loss/miscarriage

Peter didn't come to bed last night when Carla woke up the bed was empty beside her which caused her to sigh in confusion and tiredness. She had a good amount of sleep yet she was still tired she guess it was an adverse effect of her pregnancy well she knew it was and that was that there was no other explanation for it.

She was mean to be going to this conference today with Sarah but she wasn't sure about leaving Peter no doubt he would push her away anyway. A little plan started to form in her head a plan which meant she could kill two birds with one stone if she booked a hotel room for both her and Peter then she could spend time with him as well as do business. She flounced off downstairs like she was on a mission.

"Hey" Carla trails off entering the back room, she sighs as she sees Peter deep in thought "Are you ok?"

"Yeah" he paints on a smile she could tell it was fake but either way, she went into the kitchen and made herself a brew "I was thinking I might cancel this conference I'm meant to be going to with Sarah"

"No, no you go and do your networking or whatever you do, love, I'll be fine"

"I mean you could always come with me I have booked a room for after…"

"I don't know, love I kind of just want a quiet night in" he shrugs standing up "You go to your conference you don't need me hanging around like a bad smell do you?"

"Come on baby it'll be fun, it'll give us a chance to reconnect" she hunters over to him linking her arms behind his neck "Come on…"

"No love, you go" he removes himself from the situation causing her to sigh, she reaches into her dressing gown pocket and pulls out her ultrasound picture and traces over the profile of her baby "Daddys really not ok is he eh? We'll get him there sweetheart I promise"

The day went on and Carla went into Underworld for a bit before heading to Roys to pick up a couple of takeaway coffees. She witnessed Sarah and Adam having a civil conversation for once and another one of her plans came into her head, she held back until they were finished and Sarah walked off leaving Adam to smile at her and take in her appearance which was something she was quite weirded out about.

"Hey" she responds softly Adam sighs "You two seemed to be talking civilly together"

"For once yeah, probably won't last though"

"I think I have something to cheer you up"

"Oh really?"

"Indeed. I booked a hotel room for me and Peter, except Peter, doesn't want to go so I was thinking maybe you could take Sarah for lunch and then if all goes well you can use my room?"

"Ok then" he grins, she nods slowly getting out her phone "What hotel?"

"The Chariot Square, the conference is there as well so yeah, have fun I'll send you the details over"

"Thanks, how is Peter anyway?"

"Oh I don't know" she sighs shaking her head and biting her lip "He hasn't said anything to me all morning didn't come up to bed last night he's in a right world of his own I've tried to get through to him but he's just not having it"

"I can have a word, you should be taking care of yourself"

"Its fine Adam you don't need to interfere with our relationship but thank you" she sighs knowing he was right and that she should be taking care of herself especially in her condition "Look I best head off and prepare for this conference, speak soon then?"

"Yeah take care Carla"

The conference soon came she took a break halfway through to answer a call from Sarah who was annoyed at the planning Carla did to get her and Adam back together again. Carla then went to the bar and sat down at it and she was soon joined by an annoyed Adam who explained everything that happened to her, they shared a drink, a soft one together at one of the tables and she listened to him and tried to make sense of everything and the conversation soon lapsed onto her relationship with Peter, he was saying how he didn't deserve her and it made her feel wanted and valued something that Peter wasn't able to do right now.

"Maybe one-night stands are the way to go"

"Ha yeah, I bet you'd all love that" she smirks shaking her head and sipping on her lemonade "Sarah will come around, yeah I know it's difficult but when you look at me and Peter..."

"You've been through almost a decade of drama"

"Funny" she pokes him in the arm, he smirks at her "You make me sound old"

"You are, Aunty Carla" he retorts playfully, she gasps and nudges him forcefully in the arm "Oi stop!"

"Its what you deserve, Mister" she bites her lip and chuckles slightly at the whole thing "I guess I best be off, there's one thing that this evening has made me realise and that's that Peter needs me, now more than ever"

"Yeah I guess he does, not that he deserves you, mind" Adam shrugs, Carla raises an eyebrow "Look I love Peter. Everyone loves Peter but...he doesn't deserve you after you stuck with him through and through after he hurt you caused you to lose your baby previously, you're amazing to be able to forgive that"

"Yeah well I love him and that's what counts and he loves me, I know he does we're indestructible" she glances down to the face mask which was in her hands "Anyway I best go...it was nice speaking to you and I hope that you and Sarah work it out"

"Yeah a chance will be a fine thing but see ya all the same"

She went home to Peter but on the way she bumped into none other than Abi who said that he was struggling which ultimately confused her but she just blagged her way through the conversation and headed home. Sitting down at the table in the backroom she took her phone out and looked at it and it wasn't long before her noise roused Peter and he entered the room, he was confused by her presence which led her to ask him straight out to see if he was struggling. He was oddly nonchalant about the whole thing, about the fact that he did indeed have a drink which then ripped her half in half and she felt sick to her core about the future now, it was worrying her and that was something which she didn't need right now and of course, she made his attitude worse when he suggested that he needed help especially when he needed to nip this in the bud when this baby finally made its appearance but then that caused him to get even more defensive. He slagged her off calling her a bad mother, saying that she wouldn't be good enough to be a mother as she was mentally unhinged and she liked being a wreck which caused the tears to prick her eyes. The thing which hurt the most was when he brought up the day the factory caved in. The day when her life changed, when she had changed and the day where she was so distraught and thanked him for building her back up and he used this against her and that made her flee to the safety of her hotel room.

"Carla?" Adam questions., she wipes her eyes "Hey whats happened? Has Peter done something?"

"Ha yeah, just giving me some home truths"

"And?"

"Three guesses"

"Fallen off the wagon?"

"I should give you a medal" she states calling the bartender over and asking for a bottle of red

"Uh, no mate she doesn't need it" Adam states, Carla just rolls her eyes and grabs her bag and walks to her room "Carla wait up!"

"Leave me alone Adam!" she exclaims tearfully as she approaches the door of the hotel room, Adam takes her hand, she gulps and bites her lip too hard she was sure it would bleed

"No, because you're going to order the next bottle of wine on ice"

"Red doesn't go on ice"

"Yes I know that!" he states firmly, she rolls her eyes grabbing her keycard and swiping it through her door, she pushes the door open causing

"You best come in" she states letting him into her room, she sits down on the bed "You can't just say things like you did and then..."

"It's not that" he mutters sitting on the bed beside her, he reaches up and cups her cheek brushing his thumb over her cheek "You deserve better"

"I don't because I love him" she states standing up and doubling over in pain, he frowns "I'm fine" she breathes out walking the bathroom, Adam narrows his eyes but the door slams in his face, she pulls her trousers down and underwear seeing the blood which was pooling there causing her to break into tears

"Carla?"

"I've lost it," she says, she just knew at this point, Adam closes his eyes and the door clicks open, he brings her in for a hug "It's gone hasn't it"

"You don't know that" he whispers bringing her in for a hug, she cries even more "We need to get you to hospital, come on"

"Ok" she whispers cleaning herself up the best she could, the tears staining her eyes and making her vision cloudy, her only guidance being Adam who eventually got her to the car, she sits on her jacket as she looks out the window, her hand softly placed on her stomach in a bid to protect her unborn child or to relieve the cramps which were there "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey, you'll never know dear how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away"

"It'll be ok" Adam places his hand on her thigh, she shakes her head already knowing the outcome as he pulls into the maternity unit, he helps her out of the car and into the unit, there were loads of people running around her she was soon brought into a side room and given a scan

"I can't do this again" she shakes her head closing her eyes refusing to look at the screen, Adam takes her hand wanting to feel useful "All the stress, all the upset and all the fear ending in..." she glances to the midwife who removes the probe from her stomach and offers a sympathetic smile, she knew exactly what was coming next "Another, 'I'm sorry'"