Once again, apologies for the late update.

"I'm… not pregnant." Carla said, stunned.

"What?" Peter said also stunned, letting go of her shoulders as she turned around to face him.

"Look." Carla said, showing Peter the pregnancy test. "See."

"B…but you said you were late?" Peter said confused,

"Yeah I am… maybe it's just stress or… I don't know? Maybe I'll get another one or go to the doctors on Monday." Carla said her throat still dry and her body still trembling.

There was a moment of silence as she processed the news that her life wasn't about to be changed forever. She thought about how sure she was that she was pregnant and just how many insane thoughts had been going through her mind all but a few minutes ago.

"You okay?" Peter asked, watching Carla who was still stood with the pregnancy test in her hand.

"Yeah… yeah I think so." She said although a tear ran down her cheek and as she put the pregnancy test back down on the table, Peter could see that Carla was far from okay and asked,

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"What's there to talk about?" Carla said, her voice breaking as she tried to shrug casually. "I'm not pregnant… it's…a good thing."

"Is it?" said Peter moving closer to her again. He'd normally be over the moon that Carla wasn't pregnant with Nick's child but he could tell that she was slightly gutted about the result, not because she wanted Nick's baby but a baby in general would have probably made her really happy, happier than he could ever make her thats for sure.

"Yeah… I mean I dodged a real bullet just then." Carla nodded, although more tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Come ere." Peter said, putting his arms around her and holding her close.

"God… what is wrong with me?" Carla said burying her head into Peter's chest and putting her arms around his waist. She found her self crying again as Peter tenderly stroked the back of her head.

"Nothing is wrong with you Carla, you're just emotional that's all." Peter said quietly, as Carla held him tight.

His hugs had always had such a calming effect on her and this time was no exception. She soon stopped sobbing and took a deep breath in, so that Peter's wonderfully familiar scent filled her senses and comforted her.

After days of crying and endless drama she felt genuinely safe and sound in Peter's arms.

"I said I didn't want Nick's baby so why am I so upset about this?" Carla sniffed.

"Because I think… deep down, you imagined your self being a mother again." Peter said softly as Carla took in some more of him. "Your time will come Carla… I promise." She then pulled away from Peter slightly, just so she could look at him properly.

"I meant what I said though…"

"About what?" Peter asked quietly, although he had an idea of what she was talking about, it was only now that she was in his arms that he truly took in that she said she only wanted children with him.

What did this mean? Did she want him back? Did she see a future with him? Did she seriously think that she could stay with Nick after this?

These were all questions that were going through Peter's head as Carla looked deep into his eyes and sighed.

"You know what…" she replied hoarsely, and then there was the sudden sound of the front door opening.

Carla and Peter sprang apart as Ken and Tracy walked down the hallway. Ken was slightly surprised to see Carla stood in his living room. He noticed that her eyes were red and as he walked into the room he saw that Peter's were also sore.

It was highly obvious that they had both been crying but Ken didn't know why as Carla had quickly shoved the negative pregnancy test in her handbag.

"Hi Ken." She said, trying her best to act as if she had just popped round for a friendly visit.

"Carla…" Ken said as Tracy sat down on the sofa. "Is everything alright?" He asked looking between her and his son.

"Yes of course… Peter was just telling me about Wednesday that's all." Carla said with a sad look on her face.

"Oh… well I sincerely hope you can make it." Ken said.

"Of course." Carla said with a nod. "I'll be there." She looked awkwardly at Peter and then back at Ken. "I think I'm gonna… go." She said picking up her bag. "Bye Ken, Tracy."

There were still so many things that she and Peter needed to talk about but they couldn't exactly talk about them now, not in front of Ken or Tracy, who both waved Carla out with their eyebrows raised.

"I'll walk you out." Peter said not quite looking his Dad or Tracy in the eye because he knew just what they were thinking. His Dad had told him not to get involved with Nick and Carla numerous times and yet here he was more involved in their relationship than ever. Then again it wasn't his fault that she had come round and poured her heart out to him.

As Carla got to Ken's front door, she turned back around and looked at Peter.

"Thank you." She said giving him a sad smile "Y'know for everything… for not letting me freak out over the whole pregnancy thing and for our little chat about… Maia."

"Don't be silly… If you don't do Thank yous than neither do I." Peter grinned, "But you are more than welcome, after everything you've done for my lot it was the least I could do."

"It's nice…" Carla said, "That after everything me n you can help each other out like this... It really means a lot to me Peter." She then went and put her arms around him again.

They both breathed in peacefully and closed their sore and tired eyes.

For a few moments he and Carla just held each other close. They didn't talk about anything, think about anything, they just were... and for those few moments nothing else in the world seemed to matter.

They would have probably stayed hugging in the hallway of Number one, if Carla's phone didn't start ringing from her bag, snapping them both out of a most perfect embrace.

Carla sighed as she pulled out her phone, expecting it to be Nick's name she saw on screen. It was actually Michelle's instead.

"Hiya Chelle." Carla said answering her phone and trying to ignore the fact that Peter was still watching her affectionately. His gaze still made her feel all funny inside and as she heard Michelle ask if she could come over to hers, she felt her cheeks go hot. "Yeah sure… I'm... next door actually." Carla said, although she regretted admitting to Michelle where she was because she suddenly remembered their conversation last night about how she and Peter had spent every day together and she just knew that Michelle would have some sarcastic comment on the matter. "Alright see ya in a sec." Carla said, before hanging up the phone. "I better go." She said with a nod. "Bye Peter."

"Bye love." Peter said with a small smile, after the afternoon's topic of conversation he was still feeling sad but he was also immensely glad that he and Carla had got the chance to mourn the loss of their baby girl.

Today had really changed things between them. Peter knew he had a long way to go but Carla's words had given him hope, hope that some where along the way, some day they could maybe try again.

"So that's another day spent with Peter Barlow then?" Michelle said with a smirk as the door to number one closed behind Carla.

"Don't." Carla said with a sigh as Michelle linked her arm.

"So whilst me, Steve and Amy were out shopping what ave you two been doing with your afternoon then?" Michelle asked, casually. She of course had no idea what Carla was up to with Peter next door and as they walked up the street Carla swallowed hard before saying,

"Long story short, I bought a pregnancy test, which I somehow took with Peter practically by my side n then I told him that he's the only man I want to ave kids with."

"What!" Michelle cried, stopping in her tracks and looking at her best friend. Carla nodded as they crossed the road and got closer to her building. "So… are you...?" Michelle said shaking her head in anticipation because Carla hadn't actually made it clear by the way she was acting.

"No… no I'm not." Carla said, although she was still not completely sure if she was relieved or not.

"And… is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Michelle asked as Carla got her keys out of her bag and let them into her building. "Carla..."

Carla didn't answer her as they walked up the stairs and then into her flat. Michelle knew that Carla and Peter must have had an emotional afternoon, one that couldn't be defined by a simple conversation so she went straight towards Carla's kitchen and put the kettle on as Carla threw herself down onto her sat fiddling with one of her silver bracelets until Michelle came back and sat down with two cups of coffee. She placed them onto Carla's coffee table and said,

"Go on then... tell me everything n start from the beginning."

So Carla told Michelle everything. About the fact that she had missed a period, about Peter making her take the test and all about the conversation that they had about baby Maia.

Michelle listened carefully and tearfully and Carla explained and then put her arms around her when she started crying again. She held Carla in her arms as she cried and shook her head at the recent drama that her best friend had been through over the past week.

"Carla… can I ask ya something?" Michelle said after a while longer and after Carla's sobs had turned into a little whimper that she let out every so often.

"Yeah…" Carla sniffed.

"What are you still doing with Nick?" she asked, Carla looked at Michelle with an exasperated expression at first and then closed her eyes.

"I dunno." She eventually said, "Chelle I really don't know."

Carla thought about what she was doing this time last week. Her and Michelle had just got back from their mini break in Greece and she was at Nick's flat getting "reacquainted" with him. She told Nick how much fun they'd both had which then had the two of them thinking about planning an exotic holiday for next summer, somewhere with a beach for Carla and expensive restaurants for Nick.

They hadn't agreed on where they were going yet but they were going to spend this weekend down the travel agents and online trying to find their perfect destination.

Obviously their little trip down to Thomas Cook hadn't gone ahead.

It was weird for Carla to think about how stupidly happy she had been only a week ago, even with the whole Erica thing but after today Carla knew that she was never going to be able to watch Nick and Erica have this baby together.

"And… what about Peter?" then Michelle awkwardly asked.

"What about him?" Carla asked, rather foolishly in Michelle's eyes because anyone could see how much Peter had gotten right Carla's skin just by the look on her face when his name was mentioned.

"How do you feel about him Carla n be honest with me?" said Michelle. Carla shrugged at her best friend and then sat upright. "Carla, now is no time to be coy… you practically went n told the man that you wanted his babies." Michelle laughed, Carla sighed and chewed her bottom lip anxiously.

"Well as crazy as it sounds… it's true." Carla said, "He really is the only man I could ever see myself having children with but that doesn't mean that the pair of us can just pick up where we left of."

"True, but it also doesn't mean that you have to stay with Nick either, I mean last night you said you were going to speak to him about how you feel, are you still planning on doing that?" Michelle asked,

"Yes, I just don't know how to go about it that's all. I know he's been acting like a prat this week but... I still really care about him." Carla admitted, "Chelle I honestly loved him at one point."

"I know you did babe n maybe you still do love him but I think we both know that you are also hopelessly in love with that ex husband of yours." Michelle said.

"He's still my husband." Carla said with a wistful sigh, then she shook her head in disgust, "Nick's really gonna hate me isn't he?" Michelle moved forward and put an arm around her friend again.

"He's not going to hate ya, I think he'll be relieved to hear that you've been honest with him about things, he might be upset but I don't think he'll take it out on you, he's a good guy after all."

"Yeah he is… it's just a shame me and good guys don't mix eh?" Carla said with a hefty sigh. Michelle nodded, pulled a depressed Carla close to her again and said,

"Y'know what I think you should do?"

"Become a nun and move to a convent?" Carla joked, Michelle let out an amused chuckle and then shook her head at her.

"I reckon you should take tomorrow to really think about things, on your own. No Peter, No Nick, no one else in your ear telling you what to do and say to your self that by Monday you will have made an informed decision about what your going to do." Michelle suggested.

This suggestion of Michelle's was definitely something that appealed to Carla. So she called Nick that night and said that she needed Sunday to really think about things and even though he really didn't like the sound of it, what else could he have done but let Carla have that space.

She also sent Peter a text message which said,

"So even thought me n you don't do thank yous I still wanted to say thanks for last night. I'm going to have a me day tomorrow, on me own to really sort all my thoughts... but on Monday maybe me n you could meet for a drink or something? If you wanted? I dunno. Let me know yeah. x"

It was all but three minutes when Carla received a reply from Peter one which said,

"A drink on Monday sounds great… I have some things that I really need to sort out as well so maybe I'll join ya on that me day… well not join ya join ya but you know what I mean. I'll call you Monday morning. x"

Carla chuckled at Peter's awkward yet sweet reply and wondered if she could really wait until Monday before speaking to him again.

Monday morning took ages to come.

Carla had spent most of Sunday weighing up all her decisions and trying to work out just what and who she really wanted in life. She had also gone and bought another pregnancy test just so she could be sure which also turned out to be negative.

Peter had spent most of Sunday thinking about things and what he wanted in life too and although they didn't know it Carla and Peter both had one major thing decision common…

They both definitely wanted more of one another.

Since Peter had been back in Weatherfield a day apart from each other was rare and they had both spent umpteen hours thinking about the other.

Carla knew she couldn't stay with Nick and by six pm on Sunday night had made the decision to break up with him. She wanted to do it face to face and to talk it all through with him properly because she felt like she owed him a proper explanation so she decided that after work she would go and see him to break the news.

So after a hard day at work on Monday Carla had gone home and dropped her stuff of before going back on herself and heading towards the bistro to find Nick.

On her way she bumped into Ken and Tracy who were walking towards their house with Fresco's bags. They both looked rather down in the dumps as Carla got closer to them.

"Hey…" she said, she didn't want to directly ask them if they were okay because of course they weren't okay, they had lost Deirdre almost a week ago and were obviously still completely grief stricken.

"Hi Carla." Ken sighed stopping outside his place to talk to her.

"Is everything alright?" Carla awkwardly asked, He didn't want to talk to her about what was making him so sad but Tracy was more vocal on the matter.

"Oh it's just Peter being his usual thoughtful self." She said with a roll of her eyes.

"Tracy." Ken sighed again but it was too late as this had already sparked Carla's interests.

"Why what's he done?" she asked nervously, she still hadn't received that phone call from him yet and had tried her best not to have dwelled on it as the day had gone on. Ken shook his head ready to defend his son but Tracy once again spoke up.

"He's only gone and told my Dad that he's only planning on sticking around until this time next week and then he really has to make tracks down south."

"What?" Carla said slightly taken aback.

"He didn't say it like that." Ken began, shaking his head at Tracy's bluntness. "His boss in Portsmouth says they really need him back that's all." He added, looking at Carla who was undoubtedly shaken by the news that Peter might be leaving sooner than she thought.

She then realised how stupid she had been, sitting at home yesterday thinking all sorts about Peter when he never actually said that he would have been staying in Manchester.

In fact the first night he had come back he had made it clear that this was just a flying visit.

"Oh whatever Dad, the man is selfish and he always has been." Tracy said, letting herself into number one and leaving Carla and Ken stood on the street.

"Carla, he never actually said he was actually going to go... just that if he did go that it would have to be rather soon that's all." Ken said. Carla nodded at him but didn't say anything on the matter.

Ken could tell she was upset as she said she said that she was sorry but had to be somewhere and that she would maybe talk to him tomorrow.

She swallowed as she crossed the road and made her way over to the bistro. She tried not to let the news that Peter might be leaving effect her as she knew that she had to talk to Nick and that all her thoughts had to be on him rather than Peter.

Carla walked into the bistro and was greeted by a bored looking Steph, who was standing against the bar with her head in her hands as she only had a few more minutes of peace and quiet before the evening rush came along.

"Hi Carla." Steph said with a polite smile.

"Hiya Steph, you on your own out ere?" Carla asked her.

"Yeah… Leanne's got the night off n Andy's called in sick." She said sighing.

"Is Nick in?" Carla asked, her heart pounding, as she knew that she was about to end something that she had once thought was forever.

"Yeah he's in the office on the phone, the suppliers messed up big time, he was not impressed, he's having a right go at em as we speak." Steph said, as some customers came in behind Carla.

"Oh right." She said, not wanting to go in and disturb Nick, especially if he was in a bad mood. She sat at the bar for a moment whilst Steph sat the family that had just walked in, down at a table.

Carla contemplated walking out and maybe finding Nick a little bit later but in the end she decided that she had to end things between them tonight.

It had taken her ages to get up the nerve to leave her flat in the first place and she wasn't sure if she could do it again.

It also wasn't fair to string Nick along for a moment longer, he didn't deserve it. Carla wondered what he might say when she told him that she wanted to break up with him. She wondered if he'd be angry or if he might cry and after another ten minutes went by, she got up and decided to go and see if Nick was finished on the phone.

She went passed the kitchen and on her way to the office, she tried to run through the little break up speech that she had practiced before hand.

As she got to the office she stopped and took one last breath before heading inside.

Carla didn't go inside the office.

She didn't go inside the office because the office had a glass window in the door and through that window Carla saw that Nick wasn't busy on the phone.

She saw that Nick was busy with his arms around another woman's waist.

Leanne's waist.

She and Nick were passionately kissing and Carla stood motionless for a moment whilst she took the sight of it all in.

Somehow, it felt like a massive weight off her shoulders but at the same time it hit her like a thousand knives to the chest because once again she was being betrayed, she was being cheated on.

She didn't scream, she didn't shout or do any of the things that she'd always said she would have done if she ever found a man of hers cheating, instead she simply turned around and calmly walked right out of the bistro.