When Peter received the message from Carla that said she'd found Simon safe and sound, in a park literally round the corner from Weatherfield, he had never felt so relieved by anything in his life. He of course went straight back to his Dad's house and anxiously waited outside for Carla and Simon to come back.

He couldn't believe that once again, Carla had been the one to save the situation. He knew that she cared about his family but everything she had been doing lately was really beyond caring.

Peter was beginning to see that everything Carla did was obviously done out of love, whether it was the love she had for his family or him, he wasn't sure but as he stood outside and thought about the past few days, he knew one thing for sure and that was that if he carried on spending so much time with Carla, they would end up getting just that little bit too close to each other again.

He was halfway through a Cigarette when he saw, Simon's blue bike come around the corner, Simon was smiling nervously as he rode right up to Number one with Carla, once again balanced on the back of his bike. He had waited for her to park her car and suggested it would soften the blow if she came home with him. He was scared that his Dad might have been angry and that having Carla there might make things a bit better.

Carla on the other hand, didn't think that Peter would be angry at all but she agreed to clamber back onto the back of Simon's bike anyway and thought it might make the whole situation a little more light hearted and fun.

As Simon stopped in front of his Granddad's house, he had been expecting his Dad to blow his top but instead Peter flicked his cigarette onto the ground and said,

"You better hop off that bike and into my arms, right now."

"Uggh how cringe." Simon said but he let Carla get off his bike first, then practically jumped off it himself and into his Dad's arms. "I'm so sorry Dad." Simon said and he then just started sobbing, surprisingly and uncontrollably into his Dad's arms. Peter shook his head and hugged Simon tight.

"Si all I care about is that you're okay." He said and then he spotted Carla who was slowly trying to creep away from them. "Oi you…" he said to her, she sighed and stopped in her tracks "Where d'ya think you're going?"

"Well I were gonna leave you to it…" Carla said as Peter let go of Simon. Simon shook his head at Carla and said

"You should know better than that by now." He said, wiping his tears with a little grin. Carla smirked back at him as Peter said,

"He's right though, I mean why are you always in a rush to leave us be?"

"I'm not in a rush… I just don't like to intrude in these private family moments." Carla said awkwardly,

"But you are family." Simon insisted as the door to Number one practically opened on cue.

"I thought I heard voices…" Ken said, first smiling at his son, then grandson and then even more so at Carla. "Hello Carla."

"Hi Ken." She said, knowing that she was about to get an invitation into number one.

It was an invitation that she just couldn't ignore and Carla soon found herself walking back inside The Barlow's house and into the living room.

"Hi Carla." Tracy said yawning and getting up off of the Sofa, it was clear that she'd had just woken up, as Simon and Peter followed Carla into the back room.

"Hiya Tracy…" Carla said softly, looking at Amy who was still fast asleep on the sofa, "This is probably not a good time for me to be ere really, maybe I should come back…" but Ken shook his head at her

"No, Please stay Carla." he said going into the kitchen, Peter pulled out a chair, and gestured for Carla to sit on it. Tracy watched him with an eyebrow raised and then said,

"Dad d'ya reckon we should wait for Amy to wake up again or just give it to Carla now?" Carla looked over at Tracy as she sat down.

"Give me what?" She asked as Ken came back into the living room clutching a box of chocolates and a homemade envelope.

"I guess it's now then…" Peter said. Tracy nodded as Ken handed the chocolates and card over to Carla.

"Hey… what's all this?" she asked opening the card that had been made by Amy, who had woken up shortly after Peter had left to find Simon and insisted on making the card that Ken wanted to get for Carla, herself. She had fallen back sleep not long before Carla, Peter and Simon had arrived.

"I know it's not much but it's a thank you for everything." Ken said smiling at Carla gratefully. She opened the card, which had a carefully drawn bunch of flowers on it. It looked as if Amy had been extra careful and extra delicate with her colouring in. Carla she looked inside the card and read a message that said,

"To Carla,

Thank you so much for being so supportive during such a difficult time.

Love Ken, Tracy, Amy, Simon and Peter

Xxxx"

Carla felt incredibly moved by this loving gesture, so moved that she felt a lump in her throa., She looked up at Ken and managed to get out a hoarse,

"Thank you."

"No thank you." Ken said still smiling. "I hope you like those chocolates, It was Peter who told us which ones to get." Carla sniffed and looked at Peter who had sat down opposite her and had told Ken to get Carla's exact favourite box of posh chocolates.

"They're perfect… thank you." She said.

"Good." Ken said feeling very satisfied. "How was school Si?"

Carla, Simon and Peter all tried their very best to remain nonchalant and un-suspicious although Tracy had been onto them from the start.

"Erm… I didn't go in, in the end." Simon eventually said after a few hesitant moments.

"You didn't? So where did you go instead?" Ken asked a little surprised, Simon didn't know what to say to his Granddad this time and was trying to come up with something when Carla said

"He were with me, I saw him after I'd met Peter and he was feeling a bit sad so he came at helped me out at the factory didn't you Si?"

"Yeah…" Simon nodded, doing his best to keep up with Carla's lie. Peter gave her a quick nod as Ken seemed satisfied with that answer and went into the kitchen. Tracy raised an eyebrow at them all and said

"Well that was the biggest lie I've heard all day…" She said as she left the room. Carla and Simon both looked at each other sheepishly as Peter said,

"Well at least your Granddad seems to believe it eh?" He got out his phone and called Leanne's mobile, he wanted to tell her that Simon was with him and that he was fine but she didn't answer so he left her a message and thought he'd try again soon.

It was almost half an hour later, Carla was still sat at the table with Peter and Simon, Amy was still asleep on the sofa whilst Ken and Tracy had gone out to get some fish and chips for everyone. Peter had tried Leanne's phone a few more times but she still didn't answer it.

"Maybe she's just really busy with work…" Carla suggested.

"She's always really busy at work, that's all she ever does…" Simon said dryly as he got up and then went to walk out of the room.

"Where are you off to?" Peter asked casually, not meaning it to sound like he was checking up on Simon.

"The toilet... Why don't you trust me or something?" Simon snapped but he soon stopped talking when he saw the stern look that Peter was now giving him.

"Listen Si, whilst I understand the reason that you didn't go to school today, I don't understand the attitude you've seemed to have these days, especially towards your Mum, She has made so many sacrifices to look after you and you better start treating her better, do you understand me?"

"Yes Dad." Simon said and then he walked out of the room so that he could go to the toilet. Carla who had been watching the whole thing, gave Peter a sympathetic look as he turned back to face the table.

"Kids eh?" He said, eyeing up the box of chocolates that Ken had bought for Carla and grinned "So are they still your favourite then?"

"Yes they are… Thanks Peter." She said with a smile. "It's all a little weird though, your lot getting presents for me, when I'm just doing what any good mate would do."

Peter winced. He hated the word "mate" and he especially hated it being used to describe his relationship with Carla.

"Yeah I know… I told me Dad not to make a fuss but y'know what he's like…" Peter began "You deserve it though… You deserve so much more than a poxy box of chocolates if I'm honest, Thanks so much for today Carla."

"Oh would you stop saying thank you, I told you I'm just being a good friend to you all." Carla said feeling more and more embarrassed as the conversation went on.

"A friend…" Peter said quietly, He was watching Carla now, staring at her, as if she was the only thing in the room. She nodded sheepishly as Peter got up and moved on to the chair next to her.

"Well that's what we are… We're friends right ?" she said as he leant his arms on the table in front of him.

"I guess..."

"You guess?" Carla replied a little confused, "You know if you don't wanna be me friend then just say." She said but in a jokey way, grinning at Peter as she spoke.

"No… Of course I want to be your friend... it's just weird… I mean don't take this wrong way Carla but I don't think me and you are friends, we never have been and I don't think we ever will be. There's always been something between us and I don't know about you but I think there still is something…." He said. Carla swallowed at Peter and begun to wish that she wasn't suddenly so alone with him. Amy was still fast asleep and Simon was still upstairs so they were pretty much by themselves at this point.

"Peter I..." She began but he shook his head.

"Look I'm not trying anything, I told Nick that I wasn't going to spoil anything between you two and I told him that all I cared about is your happiness. I'm a man of my word."

"I wish Nick were a man of his word." Carla mumbled. She was still thinking about how he'd not told her about Simon, and how he'd just thrown her kiss with Peter, right in her face the first chance he'd got. "I really can't understand why he just didn't tell me about Simon, you should ave heard the ridiculous things that he were coming out with."

"Let me guess… He didn't tell you because he knew you'd insist on helping and he didn't want you anywhere near me right?" Peter said and Carla nodded.

"Pretty much, he's acting like a complete and utter pillock."

"Yeah well he's an idiot Carla but I get it... I get why he is acting this way."

"Do ya?" Carla asked a little surprised.

"Yeah…" Peter nodded "Take it from someone who knows… you're a hell of a lot to loose Carla, if I were him I'd wanna keep you away from any lingering ex husbands who might seem like they are trying to tempt you..." Peter said with a very small but very sure smile on his face. Carla had felt herself move just that little bit closer to Peter as he spoke.

"So… Is that what you're doing then? Trying to tempt me?" She asked smiling back at him.

"No…" Peter said moving nearer to Carla without even noticing that he was doing so.

"Really?" Carla whispered, as their heads were now so close that they were only just, not touching. "Cause it sure seems like you are…"

"Well if I am tempting you to do anything, then it's not on purpose." Peter whispered back, Carla gave him a coy smirk and shook her head slightly.

"Y'know Nick doesn't trust you right?"

"Can't say I blame him…" Peter whispered with his head still dangerously close to Carla's.

"Where's my Mum?" A voice suddenly asked, making Carla and Peter spring apart. Amy was sat upright on the sofa rubbing her eyes tiredly and yawning.

"Hey Amy…" Carla said a little awkwardly.

"Your Mums's gone down the chippy." Peter said to her, Amy nodded and went next door into her bedroom, leaving Carla and Peter alone for real this time.

Peter wasted no time before turning back to face Carla and asking,

"Are you happy Carla?"

"What do you mean?" She frowned "Of course I'm not happy…" Carla began "I mean Deirdre's gone, what on earth is there to be happy about?" Although she knew that Peter wasn't really talking about her general day to day happiness and that he was actually talking about how happy she was with Nick.

"Try to ignore all of that for a moment Carla, Were you happy before Deirdre died?" He asked

"Yeah… I spose I was." She said sighing, it was almost like she hated how happy she had been without Peter around, it was almost as if she somehow felt guilty

"With Nick?"

"Yeah… we used to be happy I guess and then…"

"I came back." Peter said watching Carla intently.

"I… I don't know what you want me to say ere Peter?" Carla said shaking her head at him, she wasn't sure what he was getting at but the way he was still so close and the way he was looking at her was messing with her head.

"Do something for me Carla... think about life before I came back, think about if you were to imagine your life in five years time, do you think you would have seen your self with Nick? Was he a part of your future?" Peter asked still watching Carla. She sat quietly for a moment and then shook her head at Peter.

"I dunno… I guess I never really thought about it." Carla said

"Yeah but if you had of done, do you think you would have pictured you and Nick together?" Peter asked, Carla shuffled about in her chair for a bit,

"I'd like to think I would ave…" she said quietly.

"And how about now, after everything that's gone on?" Peter asked.

"Now? I dunno really, I mean now I feel like I don't even know the man, let alone think about having a future with him…" Carla said sighing sadly.

"So what you saying is that three days ago... you saw a future between you and Nick and now you don't?" Peter said, Carla just shrugged at him and still didn't understand what he was getting at with all these questions.

"What is this about Peter?"

"What I'm trying to say is that I really don't think that you should let me being ere affect your relationship with Nick, I mean that's what's changed it all between you isn't it? I mean yes I know he lied to you and yes he might be an idiot but deep down he's a good guy."

"Yeah well so are you Peter…" Carla said, thinking about how ironic it was that earlier on, Nick had been the one saying that Peter wasn't a good person. Peter put the pen down that he had begun to fiddle with and looked at Carla.

"I'm not so sure about that." He said quietly, thinking about all the ways he had hurt Carla in the past.

"Oh but I am…" Carla whispered as leant in towards Peter, who hadn't noticed just how close he and Carla had once again become.

They were only inches apart and as Carla lingered in front of him and closed her eyes, Peter knew that she was waiting for him to close the space in between them, with a kiss.

Everything suddenly went in slow motion.

Peter didn't know what to do.

His heart was telling him to grab this gorgeous woman in front of him, to kiss her, to caress her and to never ever let her go but his head was telling him otherwise.

His head was telling him to back away, to not kiss her,to do nothing because he'd already had his chance and he had messed it up.

Peter's head was also telling him that it wasn't fair to do this to Nick, as much as he hated the guy Peter really wanted to stay a man of his word and he also knew that it wouldn't be fair to do this to Carla either.

He couldn't make the sort of promises Nick could. He couldn't promise to stay sober forever, he couldn't even promise that he would still be in Weatherfield in two weeks time for god sake.

In the end Peter went with his head and said

"Carla… we can't."

Peter could see it in her face that she was disappointed but as she opened her eyes, she gave him a solemn look and said,

"See… you are a good guy after all."

Her words echoed through his mind as Amy came bounding back into the front room along with Tracy and Ken. They both looked at Carla and Peter and immediately knew that they had interrupted something.

"Has me Mum called yet?" Simon asked, also coming into the living room. Peter looked down at his phone as Carla got up to help Ken in the kitchen.

"No…" He said and then he got up quietly and leant towards Simon, so that only he could hear "I'll tell you what, I'll quickly pop across to the bistro and tell her that you're back okay?" Simon nodded and although he thought that maybe he should go with his Dad, he stayed behind because he didn't want it to look too suspicious to his Granddad.

Peter made his way over to the bistro but he took his time as he crossed the street, his mind was still on the almost kiss that he had just had with Carla and what she had said after it.

What was going on in that beautiful head of hers?

Had she tried to kiss him just to see what he was going to do? Or had she actually just wanted to kiss him out of lust or love or something else.

Peter couldn't be sure but either way he was glad that somehow he had managed to resist her.

He walked into the bistro which was still closed and had expected to find Leanne in there only it was empty, He was about to turn on his heel and head to Leanne's flat instead, when he heard a noise.

It was coming from the kitchen and when Peter went to investigate the noise, he was met with a rather shocking sight.

Leanne was there all right.

Leanne was stood in against the wall in passionate embrace with none other than Nick Tilsley.