I think this is the quickest I have ever updated this fic, I was going to leave it a little longer but those comments you guys left me were so lovely, I thought I would post again today. :-) I really appreciate each one of them and that you take time out to write them. Thank you to more people who have put this story under their alerts thing (still getting used to this as you can probably tell lol). I hope you enjoy this chapter, the characters kind of exist in my mind so I just write what they do lol. Please leave a comment if you can, I really do appreciate it when you do. :-)

Part Five.

The following morning Carla had got up out of bed at around half six and though she needed to be up early to go into work after her time off, she could have had at least another hour in bed. As she was getting further into her pregnancy the more tired she was becoming so it was very unusual for her to be up before she needed to be. However, after the previous night's events she couldn't settle. Carla had cried herself to the point of exhaustion after Frank had left and had eventually nodded off, when she woke that morning she found that Peter was laid next to her and she wondered where he had been the night before but she decided against waking him, being unsure of what time he had got to bed.

Carla walked through into the kitchen and put the kettle on to try and concentrate on a task rather than let her thoughts take her away into a world of her own. It was always so much harder when she was on her own, she struggled to distract herself and often found herself falling back into memories that she tried desperately to push into a corner of her mind that she never wanted to visit again. Carla put a spoonful of coffee into a cup and added some milk before pouring boiling hot water in from the kettle after it had made a noise to let her know it was boiled. That simple noise caused her to jump in fright and she knew that she was no further forward than she had been six months ago. It seemed that every time she was allowed to think she was making progress, Frank would turn up and cruelly remind her that she wasn't. Carla stirred the drink, all she could think about was her situation and that whichever way it went something bad would happen, she couldn't win, it was a lose lose, catch 22. She wanted the baby to be Peter's and if it was she couldn't deny that she was terrified of what Frank would do. However, if the baby was Frank's she knew it would be impossibly hard for her to cope and give him even more power than what he currently had.

When Carla felt a hand on her shoulder she jumped and knocked the cup that was on the side, spilling the hot coffee. She took a step back and turned quickly to find Peter at her side and she let out a breath of relief. "Carla, what are you doing? You could have scalded yourself." Peter moved her to one side and picked up a cloth, speaking to her as he began to clear up. "Go sit down baby, I'll clean this up and make some more."

Carla swallowed before nodding and made her way over to lay on the sofa, she was tired but she was finding it impossible to settle and making it worse was the knowledge that she couldn't just lay around all day, she had things to do and she couldn't put them off any longer, especially with her just having had time off for a holiday. Peter made his way over to the sofa and wrapped Carla up in a cuddle after laying down himself and it was something she was thankful for. "How come you're up so early?"
Carla shrugged "I just woke... Where did you go last night?"
"Oh did you wake up then too?"
Carla nodded "just for a minute, but you weren't there."
"Simon wasn't very well and Leanne rang and said he was asking for me, they needed a lift down to the doctors so I had to go out for a while."
"How is he now?"
"It's a sickness bug, he was burning up so they've given him some stuff and told him to make sure he gets plenty of rest."
Carla nodded "he should be fine in a couple of days then?"
Peter nodded "what are you doing today?"
"I want to go and get some more things for the baby's nursery and I've got to go into work at some point. What are you doing?"
"I'm going to ask my dad to cover the shop so I can get on with sorting out upstairs; all I've done is separate it into two, so I need to get on with it to make sure it's ready. I think Frank's coming over to give me a hand at some point so that should help."
Carla ran her tongue over her top set of teeth and swallowed hard; she hesitated for a moment and picked her words carefully before she spoke. "No, he isn't."
Peter frowned "what?"
"He's not doing anything in here."
"Why not? He's just trying to be helpful."
"Peter this is our baby, mine and yours, I want this to be about us, no one else."
"It is he just offered to help out."
"This is nothing to do with him; it's about me and you..."
"Alright baby, I'll tell him I don't need any help."
Carla nodded and Peter ran his hand over her hair gently and kissed the top of her head before speaking once again. "Can I ask your opinion on something?"
"Course..."
"Frank offered to buy into the Bookies while you were away and I told him I'd ask you how you felt about it..."
Carla sat up a little and shook her head. "No."
"I know we haven't talked about it, I hadn't even really thought about it but it could work out. I mean, I could have as much time off as I wanted when the baby was born, get into a routine, I wouldn't have to worry about someone new coming in and being thrown in at the deep end."
"Well why can't you ask your dad or Deidre?"
"they might be able to for a week or two but not any longer than that and I don't want to have to leave you on your own with the baby that quickly, you get months off and I want to make the most of spending some of that time with you."
Carla swallowed hard as she sat up properly and tried quickly to think about how she would talk Peter out of what he was thinking of doing without giving him cause to be suspicious. "Can I think about it?"
Peter nodded and ran his hand over Carla's back gently "yeah, take as long as you need. I won't do anything until we've both agreed on something you know that..."
"I love you so much Peter, you know that don't you?"
Peter smiled and nodded "I know, I love you too, and this little one." he let his hand rest on her stomach and Carla turned to catch his lips with her own in a tender kiss.

-

It was around twelve o clock and after asking Ken to take care of the Bookies that day, Peter had spent that morning sorting out the upstairs of the flat. He had separated it into two and decided that when Simon next visited it might be nice for him to help decorate his room and so at that moment he was concentrating on the baby's side. Carla had bought a tin of white paint and Peter was just finishing off painting the walls with it, with them keeping the baby's sex as a surprise the colours they were going to use in the room were neutral, but from what Carla had got and from what she had told him she was planning he doubted that it would be any less stylish.

Peter was painting when he heard the door go and sighed, he considered ignoring it but he knew it was a possibility that Carla had forgotten her key. He put the paintbrush down and headed down the stairs to the small phone by the door. On answering it to Frank he buzzed him up and opened the door and he didn't have to wait long until he was in the flat.
"Oh she's got you busy has she?"
"I'm just doing a bit of painting, nothing too heavy. Do you want a drink?"
"I'll do them mate and bring them up, seems like you have enough to do."
Peter laughed but agreed and then went on up the stairs, and Frank went into the kitchen to make the both of them a drink. As he walked to the stairs to take the drink up to where Peter was he walked past the laptop that was open with a screen browsing expensive engagement rings. He raised his eyebrow a little and it only took him a fraction of a second to work out what Peter was planning. Frank shook his head a little and in that moment he decided that he would put a stop to those plans, Carla and Peter had everything and he didn't want to have to hear them talking about a wedding as well as everything else. He liked the be at the centre of everything and be the one making the grand gestures that people would talk about for weeks on end, so, the thought that it might be his cousin that would be the topic of conversation once again didn't sit well with him in the slightest.

Frank went upstairs with the drinks and put them down on the floor that was covered with sheets to stop any paint spilling onto it. He leaned against a chest of drawers that had been bought for Simon so he could keep some of his things at Carla's and raised his eyebrow a little as he spoke to Peter.
"It's bigger up here than I thought."
"It's a good job it is or we'd have ended up having to find somewhere else to live."
"How's it going then?"
"It's not too bad. I've just about finished painting this and we're not doing anything with Simon's until he's here so he can help so, depending on where Carla's been today will depend what I need to do tomorrow." he laughed.
"So she's in charge then?"
"You could say that."
"You're getting on though?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't we be? I think the best thing that ever happened to me was meeting her and having our baby will be right up there with that."
Frank suppressed a smirk at Peter's comment and nodded "good"
"how about you and Michelle?"
"Yeah it's going well mate. I was thinking about going for a drink in the pub tonight if you fancied it? About 5 o clock? Bring Carla and I'll let Michelle know?"
"Yeah alright, why not." Peter smiled and continued painting.
"Do you need a hand?"
On remembering what Carla had said to him, Peter shook his head. "no I'm almost finished mate."
Frank had some of his coffee before he spoke up again, a plan forming in his mind as he did so. "so you ready to be a dad for the second time around then?"
"Course. I can't wait."
"How's things between Carla and Simon?"
"Better than they were but not as good as I'd like. I think it's just going to take time."
Frank nodded "I'm sure it'll sort itself out."

-

In the factory Carla was sitting in the office at her desk and after typing up a spread sheet she'd sat back in her chair and sighed. She might have got one thing done but she couldn't get out of her mind what Peter had told her that morning and the suggestion that Frank was to buy into the Bookies made her stomach churn. She hated that he was in her life at all but he was a member of Peter's family whether she liked it or not and she highly doubted that he would be leaving Underworld soon. Although she didn't like to admit it she knew that she couldn't do anything about either of those facts, but she had decided the moment she had been told about Frank's offer that she would do something to stop it from happening. As far as Carla was concerned there was one reason and one reason only why Frank had offered to buy into the Bookies and it was control. He was obsessed by it and she knew that if he got that if peter agreed to the offer that it would be impossible to get rid of him.

Carla moved her legs so that they were resting on her desk as she toyed with her phone, she wasn't sure whether what she was thinking of would work, but she knew that she needed to try. Frank had taken so much from her already and she wanted to do whatever she could to stop him from doing anymore. Though the Bookies wasn't her's she knew that it meant a lot to Peter and therefore it meant a lot to her too. It was with that thought in mind that she slid her phone up and dialled a number that she knew off by heart but that she hadn't used in a long time. Carla bit down on her bottom lip and took in a breath as she brought the phone up to her ear as it rang. After the fourth ring it was picked up, which prompted her to speak into the receiver.

"It's me. I need a favour, can we meet?"

-

It was just after five and after locking up the factory, Carla had reluctantly agreed to go to the pub. Peter had just got the both of them a drink and sat down beside her in one of the booth. Carla picked up the glass to have a sip of the orange juice that it held as Peter spoke.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm tired; we're not staying here long are we?"
Peter shook his head "no, just for a couple."
Carla gave a small smile and nodded, resting her hand on top of his as he placed it on her stomach. "How did today go?"
"I got the nursery painted; I'm leaving Simon's room until Sunday for when he comes around. How was your day?"
"I just did a bit of work, I didn't get chance to go into town but I ordered some things off the Internet which should come tomorrow if you could get your dad to mind the shop again?"
Peter nodded "Yeah, I'll call him, what did you order?"
"A chest of drawers for the clothes, the cot, a chair for whoever's up there and some more clothes."
Peter smiled "you've been busy then."
Carla laughed quietly and nodded, though she had to stop a grimace by having a drink of her orange juice when Frank entered the pub with Michelle and after getting a drink they joined their table. Carla put the glass back down on the table after swallowing the liquid and shifted slightly closer to Peter in a subtle manner as Frank spoke, feeling slightly better when she felt Peter's arm around her shoulders.

Frank was the first to speak when he and Michelle sat down; the little plan that he'd had forming earlier than day being put into action. "There was a reason I asked you all to come here tonight and it wasn't just for a drink. I've been thinking of doing this for a while and I'm hoping that it all goes to plan..." Both Carla and Peter were frowning slightly and Carla had a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach as to what Frank was going to do next and when he spoke again she knew that the feeling had been spot on. "I know we haven't been together that long Michelle, but I can say that I have never felt about anyone the way I feel about you and I don't want to be with anyone else." Frank moved so that he was knelt down on one knee and in that moment Carla wanted to scream at Michelle what he had done to stop her making what she knew would be a mistake. However, she knew that she couldn't and had to swallow the lump in her throat. "Will you marry me?" Michelle instantly agreed and threw her arms around Frank as they were congratulated by the pub. Carla leaned over to give Michelle a cuddle and offer her congratulations as Peter shook Frank's hand. Carla sat back down to avoid getting too close to Frank though offered forced congratulations as they were in the company of others. He responded by smirking which said to Carla a thousand things that he didn't need to before he turned to get a bottle of champagne from behind the bar for them to celebrate, the last thing that Carla felt like doing, especially in Frank's company.