"Dominic please, just let me explain!"

Carla stood on the doorstep, hammering at the door, desperate to explain, to make him see reason, but he was ignoring her pleas. She shrugged off Roy's repeated attempts to get her back to the car, he was becoming increasingly concerned for her, but she was stubborn and refused to give up. She needed Dominic to understand before the police returned to take his statement. She was sure he could hear her, but didn't want to share the most traumatic time of her life with the entire neighbourhood so just kept calling his name, hoping to wear him down. Eventually after what felt like an eternity, she saw his silhouette in the hallway, and moments later the door opened, admitting her and her alone. She turned to Roy and asked him to wait in the car, trying to reassure him with a forced smile, and he reluctantly agreed, making it clear he was not happy leaving her, assuring her he would be moments away should she need him.

Peter's onslaught had certainly left its mark; Carla could tell Dominic had made an attempt to clean himself up, but the red welt and subsequent swelling which dominated his left cheek looked angrier by the minute, by morning he would have black eye to complement his split lip. He gestured for her to sit down, moving to sit in a chair opposite her before changing his mind and continuing to pace up and down.

"What the hell did you tell him? I got the message loud and clear the other day, you're not interested, did you really have to send your thug of a boyfriend to beat me up?!"

Carla sighed, she didn't know where to start, but she needed to find the words somehow; she was furious with Peter but a tiny part of her loved that he was so passionate about protecting her. She dreaded to think how he'd react if he knew she was sitting here now, alone in his sitting room, but needs must. She took a deep breath.

"There's something I didn't tell you the other day, about that night, about me."

Dominic stopped pacing and stared at her, his anger evident as he snorted his reply.

"You were off your face, do you think I don't know that. That's not my problem though is it Carla. I didn't force you and you know it. You shouldn't get in these situations if you're gonna regret the consequences you know".

She was taken aback

"Off my face? You mean drugs? I know we got drunk but I don't remember…"

He shook his head

"Don't make out you're innocent in this, you were tanked up before you got to me, I saw you coming out of that druggie's house. So don't go blaming me for your life choices. I can't believe I actually felt bad about all this, you've clearly got a screw loose, and so has your fella."

Carla struggled to stay in control of her emotions, Peter was right, this man wasn't what she thought at all. She felt sick, he had taken advantage, not exactly the way Peter thought but what difference did it make. She needed to get out of there now, but knew she couldn't leave without at least trying to stop him taking it out on Peter.

"It wasn't drugs."

"Yeah right, do you think I was born yesterday. I treated you with respect that night, like the lady you clearly aren't, and you know that. Anyway good luck proving otherwise."

Carla swallowed the bile rising in her throat, he really was a piece of work, how had she got him so wrong. The last thing she wanted was to share something so intimate but she really did have no choice.

"Well I actually can prove it. I wasn't on drugs; well I was on a lot less than I am now anyway."

He looked confused as she continued.

"I was in the middle of a psychotic breakdown. I was in no state to make any decision and according to my family and medical team that was glaringly obvious to everyone that came across me. So I'm sure the police would be interested to know your account of that night, if that's how you want to play it.

To his credit Dominic was obviously shocked by this development.

"I didn't know that Carla, I swear. look I'm sorry alright, but I would never had taken advantage like that. I thought you were just high, you know, spaced out, and like I said before I was grieving and having a pretty rough time myself."

"So that makes it OK does it?"

"No, I've said I'm sorry. Look, you can't blame me for what happened, and neither can that hooligan; he deserves to be locked up."

They were both distracted by the lights of a police car pulling up outside, and Carl knew this was her last chance to stop things getting very messy for all of them.

"We both know that's not true; I'm asking you to drop the charges, then we never have to see each other again. Please Dominic, just do the decent thing."

A knock on the door ended their conversation and Carla pushed past the waiting police officer and headed straight for where Roy was patiently sitting in the car, breaking down in tears as soon as she was in the safety of his company.

"Just take me home Roy, Please?"

Roy didn't know what to do for the best. Carla was now sitting on the sofa, more agitated than he'd seen her since she'd first returned from Carlisle. He was used to her akathisia, one of the side effects of her medication and the main reason she was hoping to come off the anti-psychotics in the next few months, but this was more than that. She was struggling to keep still, her anxiety increasing by the minute. He had tried to persuade her to take something that would calm her down but she was flatly refusing and he worried she was closing herself off. She had refused to discuss what had happened in the house, all he could get from her was that Peter was right and it was her fault if he was prosecuted. He debated calling her key worker, but she was adamant that she didn't want that, and he worried that going against her wishes right now would destroy the trust between them; memories of last year still haunted him even though he had no choice back then. Thankfully she was nowhere near that point yet. He decided to try a different tack.

"Would it help if I called the police station again?"

This caught her attention.

"No, I'll do it. They must know whether he's being charged by now. After everything he's done for me Roy I couldn't bear it if he gets locked up because of something I caused, I mean it's not like we haven't got history in that department is it."

Roy shook his head sadly, he knew she was referring to Tina's murder, and really wished she could stop blaming herself for things she had no control over. If only could take away her guilt, but if the psychologists hadn't managed to help her, he doubted he had any chance. He handed over the phone number and watched as she dialled and waited nervously for somebody to pick up. After a couple of minutes on hold he began to regret his suggestion of ringing them, he dreaded her reaction if the news wasn't good.

"Maybe I should go back to Dominic's, find out what he said, see if I can change his mind."

He was trying to think of the best way to explain why this was definitely not a good idea when they were disturbed by a key in the lock, and Roy watched Carla's whole demeanour change as Peter walked through the door and she rushed forward to embrace him.

"You're an idiot Peter, do you know that. I'm so sorry. I love you."

Thank you for the lovely reviews! Any feedback is appreciated, as are suggestions on where I take this now, as writer's block has well and truly hit!