The next day Carla woke up to a very sore head and a bunch of missed calls from Nick. She'd gone home from The Barlow's house and in an attempt to drown out all her thoughts of Peter and Nick she had a few glasses of wine, or half a bottle for that matter, before bed.

Carla sighed heavily as she sat up in her bed and as her phone began ringing again, she knew exactly who was calling her.

"Hello..."

"Hi Carla." Nick said anxiously into the phone. "How are you?"

"Yeah… Okay I spose." She said.

As her and Nick had a slightly mundane conversation, Carla couldn't help but think about what had happened with her and Peter at the table yesterday. She thought about how close they had gotten to kissing again and she thought about how she'd made sure that she lingered in front of Peter just enough to tempt him but also made sure that she left it completely to him to make that last move.

He didn't though. He backed away and Carla wasn't sure if she was relived or disappointed that Peter hadn't kissed her.

Carla was totally aware that it was wrong to even be thinking about kissing Peter. She had such a good boyfriend who amongst everything adored her. He really did dote on her and if his jealous behaviour over the past few days was anything to go by, then he obviously didn't want to lose her.

The guilt of thinking so much about Peter made Carla want to get right under the covers again and never come back out.

Carla decided that for today, she would try to ignore Peter and his family. That for a whole day, she would try to spend it as much of it as she could with Nick and then after that she would try to work out where their relationship should go next.

It was a good idea, only Carla forgot what today actually was, she had forgotten how excited Nick had been for it and it was only when he mentioned the words "Erica" and "Scan" that she felt her heart sink and her tummy tighten.

Today was the day Erica was having her twenty week scan and the day that her and Nick would find out the sex of the baby, Today was also the day that Gail had planned a special surprise party at the bistro, in fact it was more like a baby shower, although it was more for Nick's benefit rather than Erica's.

Carla was now dreading today for lots of different reasons, She was dreading everything about the scan, hearing about it, seeing the picture of it, everything. Her miscarriage was still something that was still raw in her mind and now that Erica had made it to twenty weeks, Carla knew that she probably wouldn't be able to ignore the fact that Nick had a baby on the way.

The surprise party was another thing that Carla was dreading because she knew that Nick would be coming into it with Erica, who Carla couldn't stand at the best of times and she knew that all there would be at this party was baby talk and that was something else that Carla also couldn't stand.

After her phone call with Nick, Carla thought about going back into bed but she braced her self for the day ahead and used all her strength to get up. She tried her very best to not think about Peter as warm water trickled down her body in the shower, she then tried not to think about him as she pulled on her underwear, then her clothes and she tried not to think of him as she forced down the pain killers and attempted to eat breakfast. She tried really hard but it seemed the more that Carla tried, the more Peter consumed her mind.

Carla went to work and opened up the factory as normal, she would usually be glad as it was a Friday and there would be no work that she had to go to tomorrow but given her current circumstances, she would have been glad to have had a whole weeks worth of work waiting for her.

The machinists at the factory were all in solemn moods as they trudged up the steps and into the building. They were totally quiet as they got to work and even though Carla knew that they were all in their own state of mourning over Deirdre, she wished that they would just be their normal selves, that they would sing their infantile songs, fight over the cake run and mess about when they thought no one was looking.

Carla replied to emails, did a stock take and double checked some orders that were due to go out, she was trying to keep herself nice and busy but she eventually let her self glance at the clock and of course when she did, it was just gone twelve pm. She nibbled her lip and tried her very best not to think about Nick and what he would be doing right now.

Erica's appointment was at eleven forty five, so right now she'd probably be on the hospital bed, she'd probably have her shirt hitched right up and the doctor would be showing her and Nick their unborn child.

Carla knew all too well how an ultra sound scan went but she hadn't made it to twenty weeks, nowhere near in fact and she also had to endure her baby's scan all on her own. There was no Peter by her side, no one to hold her hand and no one to shed happy tears alongside her.

He should have been there, she wished he had been there, and as Carla continued to think about her miscarriage, she began to feel a lump in her throat.

Carla started to cry and it was only because her office door was locked and her blinds were closed, that she let herself become lost in her tears and her thoughts of what could have been.

Hours later, well after underworld was closed, Carla had gone home and got dressed for this party at the Bistro. She didn't want to go, she really really didn't want to go but she knew as Nick's girlfriend she had to be there. After all she was invited by Gail herself, she had to be supportive and she had to pretend like inside she wasn't falling apart.

Carla decided that she should at least try and make an effort, that she had to look as best she could. She had no idea just who would be at this party but she knew if she was going to be introduced to people as Nick's girlfriend then she wanted to look good, she wanted to look incredible, she wanted to be remembered as Nick's stunning girlfriend and not the woman who's boyfriend was having a baby with someone else.

Carla knew it was stupid and pointless but she still found herself creating soft waves in her hair with a curling wand that she'd got four christmases ago from Michelle. She got dressed in white chiffon shirt, a pair of tight black jeans and black heeled boots. Upon looking at her reflection Carla felt as if she was maybe just that little bit too dressed up but then again Nick was always in a suit so she'd probably look nice and co-ordinated next to him.

Carla wasn't exactly sure if she looked as stunning as she had wanted to look but when she was walking over to the bistro, she heard someone wolf whistle.

She could recognise that whistle anywhere and turned to find Peter stood outside his Dad's house, lighting a cigarette and smiling at her.

The provocative way that Peter was smiling at Carla was definitely not helping her plan of trying not to think about him all today. Rather than getting her self into a situation where she would be talking to him and almost flirting with him, especially judging by the way he was looking at her, Carla decided to give him a quick smirk and then carry on making her way over to the bistro.

Peter inhaled as Carla had tried to walk right past him but as she walked away, he just couldn't help but call after her.

"Where are you off to?" He asked although with the direction that she was headed, it was obvious. She stopped walking and turned back around to face him.

"Let's just say that there's a Platt family function at the bistro and I am required to attend it." Carla said, she hadn't meant to make it sound like she was dreading it so much but as Peter took another drag of his cigarette, she noticed that he was watching her with pity. "What?"

"Nothing…" Peter began, "I just feel sorry for you that's all, I mean a night in there with the likes of Gail for company… Poor you." He grinned although his mind was going a mile a minute. He had guessed that due to the fact that she was still going to this party, that Nick hadn't been honest about the kiss after all and that she was still blissfully unaware of what had happened between him and Leanne. It was either that or she had forgiven him and either way Peter didn't like it.

"And what exciting plans do you have for this evening then?" Carla asked, watching him with her head on one side, forgetting all about her plan of trying to have a Peter free day.

"Well it looks like me and Tracy are in for a wild night of watching me Dad's new favourite show about something really boring that happened a really long time ago." Peter said, exhaling smoke as he spoke.

"Hmmm I'm not sure what's worse." Carla replied.

"Oh I am." Peter said nodding towards the bistro. "Don't let me keep you eh." He grinned again. Carla shook her head a little and then smiled before turning on her heel and walking towards the bistro.

"Bye bye Peter…" she called, waving her hand in the air at him without even turning around.

"Have a good night." Peter said exhaling again and watching her walk away from him, in awe. Peter thought that Carla looked phenomenal, he always loved when she would curl her hair and he couldn't help but notice just how good her behind looked in her tight black jeans. It was absolute torture for him to let her just continue on her way to see Nick. He detested the idea of Carla looking like that and spending the night on Nick's arm.

As painful as it was, Peter continued to watch Carla walk away and as she stopped outside the bistro, she turned around and gave Peter a saucy smirk before going inside.

Carla knew that Peter was still watching her from a far and all her smirk had done, was make him feel even more envious of Nick. He actually ended up storming back inside his Dad's house in the most horrible mood.

Carla walked into the bistro which had one corner sectioned off and decorated with balloons, a banner saying congratulations and a huge table of presents. She almost turned her nose up at it as she was met by a rather nervous and jittery Leanne.

"Hi... Carla." Leanne stuttered.

Carla found her behaviour slightly odd but she assumed that it must have been hard for Leanne to see Nick having this baby too, after all she'd had a history with Nick and she'd also miscarriage at one point in her life as well.

Carla was highly unaware that Leanne's nervousness was more to do with that fact that she'd actually kissed Nick yesterday, rather than her actual history with him.

"Alright Leanne." Carla said sitting down on a stool at the bar. Leanne nodded and said,

"Yeah… You?" Carla nodded this time, even though she was probably the furthest away from all right that she could ever be. Any moment now Nick would be waking in with Erica, everyone would should surprise at them and they'd both be armed with their scan photo. "Wine?" Leanne soon asked. Carla gave her a friendly smile and said,

"Thought you'd never ask." She sat on a stool at the bar on her own and the whole time that she was sat there, no one had even bothered to come and talk to her, Not that Carla wanted to make small talk with anyone anyway.

It wasn't long before Nick and Erica arrived at the Bistro. Everyone who had been invited to the party all shouted out an enthusiastic "Surprise" and waited with bated breath to find out if the baby was a boy or a girl.

Erica giggled as the likes of Gail, Audrey and Emily all flocked around her and Nick, who hadn't even given Carla the time of day since he had walked in.

Erica only had to say three words

"It's a girl."

Those three words made Carla's insides tighten and her heart begin to ache.

Nick was going to have a little girl. His little girl would be born into this world in no less than four months or so and even though it seemed like a long time, Carla knew that this precious little girl would be here before she knew it.

Gail hugged her son and she even hugged Erica even though it was highly awkward. Everyone was cooing around him and Erica and Carla didn't feel like joining in. She'd actually got up to say surprise but she hadn't even been noticed by Nick or anyone else for that matter, so she quietly went over to the bar and ordered herself another glass of wine.

Ten minutes later, when Carla was halfway through her wine she felt someone sit down next to her. She looked up hopefully, thinking it was Nick but it wasn't.

It was Nick's little brother David.

"Alright?" He said as Leanne passed him a bottle of beer.

"Yes." Carla lied, giving David half a smile.

"You sure?" David asked with a smirk.

"Said so didn't I?" Carla said although she couldn't help but smirk too. When Nick was finally done with all the greetings and hello's, it was as if he just suddenly realised that Carla was part of the party too. He happily marched over to the bar and put his arm around her.

"Hi." He said kissing her on the cheek, David watched him with an eyebrow raised as Carla said an over enthusiastic,

"Hi Nick." She paused and then added an awkward, "Congratulations." Nick smiled delightedly and watched her for a moment.

"Are you okay?" he asked but Carla got the feeling that Nick was just generally asking this question, rather than truly thinking about the situation she was in, so she answered him in the only way that was acceptable.

"I'm fine Nick."

Nick was then called over by some other relative or someone so he let go of Carla and left her stood with David.

"You are so not fine." David said watching Carla, she sighed and shook her head at him, out of all of Nick's family David had been the one who she could relate to the most, she found it surprising at first but the pair of them would often be found chatting away at any family meals or occasions and they actually found that they had a few things in common.

"Well what were I supposed to say? No I'm not okay and all this baby talk is actually killing me… Yeah I don't think so."

"Well I weren't expecting you to say all that but you could ave maybe said, No Nick, I'm not okay and I could really do with a hug." David shrugged, taking a sip of his beer.

"I couldn't say that, I mean he's at his surprise baby shower for god sake, it would be selfish to make this about me." Carla sighed again.

"Y'know... I'd say me n you ave gotten to know each other quite well over the past few months and the one thing that I've realised about you the most is that you are so not selfish... In fact I actually think you're pretty brave." David said. Carla looked at him in amazement, she was almost taken aback by his words.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean you've come ere tonight, even though it's clearly hard for you to be ere and also after what happened with Deirdre this week, I know she meant a lot to ya."

"She did." Carla said sadly, she wasn't used to talking about Deirdre with anyone other than the Barlow's and the fact that David had mentioned her, made it all feel too real. "I didn't even want to get outta bed this morning, I was this close from getting back under the covers."

"Yeah but you didn't, did ya?" David said, "Your a proper little fighter and I gotta say I'd really admire you." Carla couldn't quite believe that David was the one who was saying all this to her but she smiled at him fondly as she nudged him.

"Awwww David..." She teased, "You're a proper little softie, aren't ya?"

"I ave me moments." David grinned "I'll deny I ever said any of that to you if I'm asked though." He grinned as his fifteen year old niece Bethany came over. She was frowning as she slumped onto a stool next to David. "What's wrong with you?" He asked.

"This party is well boring." She began.

"Finally we agree on something." David said sipping his beer and nudging Bethany in the side.

"It's alright for you two, I mean at least you ave alcohol to get you through it." Bethany groaned as she watched Carla sip her wine. "Get me a drink one of you, pleaaaase." She begged

"You're fifteen Bethany." Carla said amused.

"Oh yeah, like you weren't drinking at my age." Bethany said, eying Carla up and down.

"Exactly and look at her now eh?" David smirked.

"Oi!" Carla said giving him a playful slap around the back of his head.

"Ow!" David cried dramatically, "Oh come on Carla I think its safe to say that you and alcohol ave a lot of history." David said with a cheeky grin, Carla shook her head at him almost laughing now, she was actually beginning to enjoy her self, especially the banter that she was having with David, it was almost making her forget how upset she was that Nick would be having a baby girl soon.

"Well even if you do have a history with booze…" Bethany began looking at Carla, "You still turned out alright in the end didn't ya?"

"Hmmmm I'm not so sure about that." Carla said finishing her wine, Bethany of course, had no idea what Carla had been through in her life but she wasn't about to start telling her all about it either so she just kept quiet as David said,

"I think that's just our Bethany's way of saying that she likes you."

"Is it?" Carla asked a little apprehensively.

"Course I like ya, I mean why wouldn't I? you drive a BMW, you're loaded, you're gorgeous, you've got an amazing figure and your own business." Bethany said, she was then distracted by the door of the bistro which opened in the distance, Bethany smiled and then said, "and not to mention you've got a well fit husband."

"Eh?" Carla said, Bethany smirked at her and nodded over to the door of the bistro, where sure enough, Peter was stood.

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