I hope no one minds the small lack of Carla and Peter in the last couple of chapters, I was just trying to find a way to explain parts of the story differently and course lay grounds for future chapters. Your reviews are amazing, and cherished as always!

"I feel romantic cos since morning I've been at the wine. Shall we eat all the poison and leave all the questions behind?"

Michelle couldn't face going home after her confrontation with Carla and found herself wondering along the common, alone, lost in her thoughts. She wasn't sure she was angry any more, instead she felt empty. The way she had when she had lost both her brothers. She felt as though she had just lost something equally as special to her. Carla's words rung in her ears, after everything that had happened between them, they had never discussed her absence during one of the worst periods of Carla's life. She had never asked in depth why she didn't phone her, why she hadn't reached out to her. Maybe she should have. Maybe now she never would.

She sighed sadly as she pulled her coat tighter around her, frowning as a familiar voice called her name, looking up, her brows furrowed and her words couldn't quite escape her lips. He had always had that effect on her. "Rob? What the 'ell are you doing here?"

Rob threw her a smirk but she could see the look upon his face wasn't fitting the appearance he was trying to give off. "Surprisingly, that's the nicest welcome I've 'ad so far."

Michelle folded her arms across her chest, almost to protect herself. She wasn't scared of Rob, she never had been. She was, however, scared of the way he could make her feel all these years later. He should be in prison for the murder of Michelle's work mate, and yet she couldn't help but feel relieved he wasn't. "What is this then, you on the run or summit?" She raised her eyebrows at him as he chuckled, "Take me for a drink and maybe I'll fill you in." Michelle shook her head in disbelief, "You are unbelievable, you know that?" She walked with him though, leading him to a pub that definitely wasn't the Rovers.

Rob sat waiting for her as she carried over a pint and a large red wine for herself and grinned cheekily up at her. Again, it never did quite reach his eyes.

She watched him as she spoke, her voice laced bitterness. ""So come on then, what the bloody hells going on? No one tells me 'owt anymore." She shook her head softly, "Should I be worried, are the police gonna barge in here any minute and arrest me for fraternising with the enemy?"

Rob laughed softly, shaking his head as he swigged his pint, "Better the less you know kid, trust me. But lets just say, I know a lot of bent people that know a lot more bent people. What is it they say? It's a very corrupt world." He smirked more and took another mouthful as Michelle rolled her eyes. "Don't call me a kid, Rob. I'm sick of being patronised and treated like an annoying little girl. Sick to the flammin' back teeth of it."

With a confused look, Rob went to question her on her mood but before he could, Michelle went to speak, "So what do you want, Rob? I'm assuming you're after something, people usually are."

Rob frowned, "What's gotten into you? Crikey, I were only after a friendly face. I assume by your mood you've spoken to our Carla? Maybe I should be expecting a police car on my tail?"

Michelle frowned softly after gulping her wine back in a way even Carla would envy. "What's she got to do with anything?" It was Rob's turn to frown now, sitting forward more, intrigued. "Well seeing as it were her I kept locked up in a warehouse for three days and her baby I seem to have killed, I'd say quite a bit, Michelle?" He voice was rough, emotionless but his eyes gave him away, regret seeping through his very being.

Michelle almost spat her wine out, her mouth open in shock and Rob realised it really was the first time she had heard this, "You what?" She took a second to go over what he had said. "She were with you? But the police said she'd been in London? What the hell?"

Rob studied her face, more confused than ever, "London? No Michelle, she were in a warehouse with me." At Michelle's horrified look he rolled his eyes, "Oh give over, 'Chelle, I didn't tie her to a chair and hold a gun to her head or nothing. I just wanted her to talk, to see sense. I swear, I didn't know she was pregnant."

"She was pregnant? Oh Jesus, Rob." Michelle felt her heart break all over again, and she was powerless to stop it.

Rob looked down, embarrassed, "I don't get it, why did she tell you she'd been in London?"

"She didn't. The police did." Michelle sighed, rubbing her face and finishing her wine. She ignored Rob's questioning for a minute as she headed back to the bar, ordering herself a large Vodka this time, and Rob the same. Sitting back down, she watched him intensely. There was something about him that intrigued her, even now, hearing what he had done to the best friend she had recently planted a fierce slap on, she was drawn to him.

"I went to the police this morning, wanting to know what they planned to do about finding her. Little did I know she were already shacked up in bed with lover boy. They told me she'd been in to see them as soon as she got back. Apparently everything was getting on top of her so she'd ran away to stay with her mate in London. She had no idea what had happened at her flat, but as far as she was concerned everything was fine and the case was closed. That's the story she's giving anyway. Until five minutes ago, that were what I believed an all."

Rob raised his eyebrows, shaking his head, "So she'd not told 'em what I did? She didn't even tell you?"

Michelle shook her head, closing her eyes for a second as she thought back to the harsh words her and Carla had just shared, "I didn't really give her much chance to be honest. We argued, god, I was horrid. So was she to be fair but I probably deserved it. I didn't know, especially not about the baby. Fuck Rob, she's gonna be a mess and I've made it ten times worse." She held her hand over her mouth as she imagined the turmoil Carla would be facing, neither of them having any idea that the baby had survived.

"Oh don't worry, 'Chelle, I'm sure Peter's making it all better." He swigged back at the vodka Michelle had handed him, as did she, just wanting to forget for a while. They stayed in that pub for hours longer, drinking and talking, wasting hours away avoiding what awaited them at home, or in Rob's case, a scummy B&B. Michelle forgot about Steve and about right and wrong and about morals. She forgot how betrayal and wrong doings had ended so tragically for her brothers and her best friend. She let Rob's charm overtake her in every sense of the word. Whilst drinking back another toxic drink and cackling loudly at something Rob said, she decided in that moment that she hated him. She hated what he had caused, what he had done and how again he was walking away unscathed while Carla sat at home, a wreck. But that didn't make her go. And hours later, when the day had been and gone and the early hours of the morning arrived, it didn't stop her following him to that scummy B&B and into his bed.

Carla's naked body collapsed down against Peter's as she tried to catch her breath, her breathing erratic and hot against the skin of Peter's neck where her face rested. The heat between them meant their sticky skin stuck together, but neither cared. Peter held her close against him, taking a minute while the intensity and need between them calmed. As her body relaxed, Carla felt herself mould against Peter and she even almost smiled, "I needed that." She whispered into the crook of his neck as he nodded, softly. "Me too, baby. Me too."

Staying just how they were, Peter settled into a sleep, eventually. Carla curled up on his chest, his hands settling her spent body into a state of bliss. But she stayed awake, unable to drift off as her husband had done, her mind in over drive over the last few days. She felt she had barely had time to breathe and although right now there was no where else she'd rather be but in Peter's arms, she couldn't help the regret that flooded her when she realised how badly she needed to share her thoughts with her best friend.

Careful not to wake her sleeping lover, Carla reached over for her phone and turned it, nervously typing out a message as she still lay across Peter, one that little did she know, would break her best friend's heart upon reading it.

Chelle, I'm sorry for what I said, I didn't mean it. I know you didn't mean it either. I need you in my life, Chelle, I always have done. I need you in my life and so will my baby. We can sort this xx

Before she could change her mind, Carla sent the text, hoping the news of her baby would soften Michelle's mood and encourage her to talk. Although, if Carla had any idea exactly what Michelle was up to and who with, it might not be her mood that needed softening at all.