Thanks for the reviews as always, please keep them coming lovelies. I have planned out at least the next 15 chapters so I hope you're all still interested!

"Girl let me love you and I will love you until you learn to love yourself. Girl let me love you, I know your trouble, don't be afraid, girl let me help."

The sound of Carla's phone crashing to the floor resonated through the factory office and her legs couldn't take her weight anymore. She stumbled backwards, her back colliding with the desk as she let that support her weight instead. If it wasn't for the chatter of the factory staff, they'd have heard the pained sob that left Carla as she read the message her phone had shown her.

Michelle had lost the baby.

She felt heartbroken, bitter, angry. Guilty. Oh god, she'd never felt a guilt like it. She remembered laying in hospital feeling empty and hollow and imagined how Michelle would be feeling. She wouldn't even have Steve to lean on as although she'd told him she had fallen and ended in hospital and hadn't said the real reason why. She hadn't told him about the baby either. Carla assumed Michelle didn't want to set his depression back and probably didn't want Rob finding out either, just in case. Now, because of her, Michelle's baby was gone. Such a brief and flittering life but one that would leave Michelle with an endless pain, a space in her heart that could never be filled. Carla knew all about that. She quickly wiped her tears and made her way round the office, locking the door and making sure all the blinds were shut before sinking into the comfort of her familiar leather seat.

Carla let her hand slide under her top and rest on her small bump, her fingers tenderly stroking.

"You keep fighting little one." She whispered aloud, "You just keep fighting for mummy." Carla wiped her eyes with a sniffle before leaning back more, both her hands on her tummy as she looked down, speaking to her baby as she had done the last time she was pregnant, "Hey you're getting bigger everyday. Little bit bigger, little bit stronger. You have fingers and toes and a proper little face now." Carla spoke so softly, obviously so devestated at what she believed she had done, "You just hang in there baby. Hang on in there." She looked up, trying to stop her tears and almost growled in frustration and anger, "Please God, just hang in there."

After a moment or two longer Carla jumped up, grabbing her bag and heading out of the office, barely stopping, "Sal, you're in charge." And with that, she was gone.

Carla nervously made her way to the side of the bar and approached Steve. Michelle's message had told her he had no idea that Carla had completely unintentionally caused her accident but it didn't stop her feeling awkward and worried. "Can I go through Steve?" Thankfully he smiled and nodded, letting her through, even more clueless than Carla was about Michelle's current situation.

Swallowing back Carla opened the door to the back room and popped her head round, "'Chelle?"

Michelle looked up from her daze and gave Carla a tiny smile, nodding for her to come in. She needed to tell her, to be honest and open and get this out of the way. She couldn't be the one to cause Carla so much heartache when she had always been the one to fix her again.

Carla slowly walked into the room, shutting the door behind her and gently sitting beside Michelle.

"Hey stranger." Carla already had tears brimming in her tired eyes. "'Chelle I'm so sorry. Really I am. I'm sorry for everything that's happened."

Michelle froze, shaking her head. "Carla-" For the first time in days, Michelle cried. She cried as though she couldn't stop, as though the world was ending. She thought it was. She let Carla pull her in as she cried too, trying her best to comfort her and yet feeling completely out of her comfort zone. She'd never seen Michelle in such a mess, and she could only imagine it was over the loss of her baby. She wanted to say things to comfort her but Carla knew there was nothing that would offer any form of comfort when faced with such a loss. So she just held her close, kissing her head as Michelle would have done if the situations were swapped. Like she had done when it had been.

Michelle held onto Carla as though she might disappear. She wanted to tell her, she longed to say the words and make her pain go away but she couldn't. She just couldn't say it. So she stayed quiet and stayed a coward. God she hated herself for it. Things were never going to be the same again.

Eventually Michelle pulled away and wiped her eyes quickly but she found Carla's hand and squeezed it. She wanted her to know she didn't blame her. Shit, even her thinking that was messed up. How could she blame her for losing her baby when there was no baby to lose any more? Her mind was all over the place. All she knew was that she had to say something, had to be sure that her and Carla's friendship was on the mend and that Carla loved and cared for her. Although even Michelle knew Carla would have a hard time forgiving her secret if it ever came out. And secrets that big did seem to have a way of coming out.

Both women looked up as the door banged open quickly and a flustered Peter rushed in, "God Carla there you are, are you okay?!"

Carla frowned slightly in confusion and nodded, standing up, "I'm fine Peter, what's the matter?"

Peter took her hand and and quickly pulled her closer, "I came to see you at the factory for lunch and they said you'd rushed off and not said where or why. Sorry love, I worried." His hand found the back of her neck and he placed a soft kiss to her forehead, his love so apparent.

Carla shook her head with a smile, "Don't be daft, it's fine baby. We're both okay." She loved the way he'd been with her every day since she'd let him back in. Peter had been so attentive and loving, constantly looking out for her and right now, she needed that desperately.

Peter held her against him and played with her hair, stroking it softly. Michelle felt a pang of jealousy as she watched them. She'd never seen someone look with as much love as Peter currently gave Carla. He was looking at her like she was the only person in the world, like she was his everything. His eyes never left her and Michelle could see he'd obviously been worried. She knew the pain he'd caused Carla had almost killed her and the thought of Steve feeling that way made her feel sick all over.

It gave her hope, that maybe she could come clean and her and Steve could get through it come and out even stronger, as Carla and Peter clearly had. Although she wondered if Steve loved her even half as much as Carla and Peter loved each other. Maybe it wouldn't be okay after all.

Peter kept Carla against him and smiled at Michelle. He wasn't aware of what had gone on between the two women today but he knew any extra stress or worry wasn't good for Carla or the baby and he wanted to get her home and look after her. She hadn't said anything, in fact she had said she'd been fine. But Peter knew her inside out and he knew she needed a chat, a sleep and a cuddle.

"Right I'm gonna take my wife home if you don't mind, Michelle. Feed her up a bit."

Michelle nodded with a faint smile, " Yeah course, no problem." What she wouldn't do for the love he was giving her. Not that Steve didn't love her but things had been incredibly hard recently and to be honest, she doubted he felt for her at all sometimes. Not that she deserved his love.

Carla blew Michelle a kiss and gave her a heartbreakingly guilty smile, "I'll be back okay? You know where I am. Love you." She let Peter lead her out and blew out a deep breath. Michelle was her best friend but the atmosphere in that room had been horrendous. "Take me home baby, I need a cuddle." And of course, that's exactly what Peter did.