Chapter 4:
A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed so far! As I have said, I have quite a bit planned for this story!
Days, and soon weeks, went passed where Carla kept Rachel a secret from anyone and everyone. It's not like she knew anyone who she could trust to keep the girl a secret from the authorities.
Sure, people on the street knew her but if social services found out, who's to say they would let Carla keep Rachel. Carla - who was on a twelve month ban from driving due to a drink driving charge, had a couple of dead husbands under her belt and was known to be in the local boozer after hours on a regular basis. No…there was no way anyone in their right mind would let her keep a runaway abandoned child.
During the past few weeks, Carla found herself growing somewhat attached to the little girl. There was just something about Rachel that made Carla feel important, as if she was making a real difference in the world.
It was this that caused a slight problem in the present. "I've already explained why this is important. Everyone needs some sort of education. Do you know how long it took me to find this stuff online?" Carla lectured tiredly one Monday morning.
Rachel rolled her eyes as she fiddled with the laptop that was placed on the dining room table that she was sat at. "But I hate school." She whined like any other eight year old. Ok…it might not have been a good idea to leave such a young child without supervision but Carla saw no other option. She was all this child had in the world and she wasn't going to be the one to ruin that. It just wasn't her style.
"I know, Darlin' but do you think I got to be where I am now without any type of schooling?" Her question was greeted with a shrug. "Exactly. So please just try? I'm only doing this because I think it's for the best." Silence greeted her at this and she felt somewhat bad due to the little pout that came across Rachel's face. "Tell you what. Let's just get through this week and then I promise this weekend we can go into town for some shopping. New clothes, a bite to eat and if you do ALL of those times tables I might even push the boat out and take you to a movie. How does that sound?"
Days out at the weekend were a regular occurrence. Of course, Carla made sure to avoid the street so most of these trips occurred in town. Although the first outing was nerve wracking for Carla, she knew it was necessary after having to listen to Rachel complain about being bored for a whole week straight. The turning point was when Carla had returned home one day from work only to be confronted by one very upset neighbour. The neighbour from across the hall made it clear that she wasn't happy with the amount of noise level coming from Carla's own apartment. It was then she was told music had been blasting out all day.
When Carla had asked why Rachel had been doing it, the little girl had whined about being bored and that she decided to have a one man party.
Carla was brought back to reality when she saw Rachel shrug out of the corner of her eye and look up from the laptop. "Ok I guess." Not wanting to get too over excited. In her experience, adults were notorious for letting kids down.
Carla smiled before rising from the dining table. "Ok. I'll call you at lunch time to see how you're getting on. I've made some tuna pasta and left it in the fridge for you. I was thinking of stopping off at the bistro on my way back for some takeout for dinner tonight."
Rachel rolled her eyes and smirked. "The bistro again? We had that on Friday. Do you ever actually cook dinner?" She asked cheekily and Carla opened her mouth to respond but Rachel quickly interjected, "and I don't mean microwaved food or frozen fish fingers."
Carla glared in mock annoyance. "Trust me, darlin', you don't want me cooking a proper meal unless you want to end up with food poisoning."
The little girl giggled and shrugged. "At least if I'm sick you won't make me do this stupid school stuff."
The factory owner scoffed and shook her head. "You should be so lucky."
Rachel's mouth gaped open in shock. "You're evil." She deadpanned.
"You love it." Carla winked teasingly. She looked down at her watch and gasped. "Flamin' heck…look at the time! I'm going to be late and Frank is going to be on my case." She rambled as she ruffled around in her handbag to make sure she had everything she needed. "My cabs probably been waiting…why didn't they ring-"
Rachel watched as Carla went into a tizzy, her facial expression somewhat thoughtful. "CC?" At first the nickname had annoyed Carla but by now she had gotten used to it. Of course, in the beginning Carla had reminded Rachel of her dislike of the moniker but the spunky girl had paid no attention to the woman's idle threats.
Carla stopped what she was doing and focused on the child, "what?".
Rachel shifted in the seat she was sat on and swiped her finger along the table top. Carla crossed her arms and tapped her foot with impatience but before she could tell her to get on with it, the eight year old voiced her thoughts.
"How much longer do I have left?"
Carla rolled her eyes, a little annoyed that Rachel had decided to hold her up for a few more moments with a ridiculous question. "Well kids round 'ere usually finish school around three. You can stop then and not before-"
Rachel shook her head and looked down at her lap. "I wasn't talking about school work." She said sadly.
Carla huffed, "then what were you talking about?"
"When do I have to leave? Your house, I mean." Rachel squeaked out, not even trying to put on a brave face as her lower lip trembled.
Carla let out a soft sigh and sat down on the chair that was beside Rachel. "Sweetheart, look at me."
Rachel swiped at her eyes as a couple of tears spilled down her cheeks and avoided eye contact with the woman who had taken her in. Carla reached out and gently stroked the back of the girls head.
"I've got sunshine on a cloudy day
When it's cold outside
I've got the month of May
I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way…"
Carla began to sing 'My Girl' by 'The Temptations' in a soft whisper. It had become 'their song' starting from the time Rachel had awoken screaming from a early morning nightmare. It happened to be on the first night the girl had slept in the spare room at the top of the spiral staircase. Carla near had a heart attack because of the sudden nature and shrill interruption to an otherwise peaceful night. The song just so happened to randomly pop into her head so as she held the girl in a comforting embrace and Carla began to sing the tune. Rachel had almost instantly calmed down and relaxed into Carla's arms. However, she refused to go back to sleep which forced Carla to relent and allow her to sleep in her bed with her. Ever since, Rachel had refused to sleep in what was dubbed 'her room'. Carla was aware that this wouldn't help the situation but if she was being honest, she herself didn't particularly like sleeping alone.
The song did the trick in the present as Rachel slowly lifted her head and looked at Carla with a soft smile.
"You're so soppy sometimes. You know that?" Rachel joked.
Carla laughed and winked. "Yeah but don't tell anyone. It's our little secret." At this, Rachel's face fell once again. Carla tilted her head to one side questioningly. "What is it?"
"Nothing. It's just…well I don't have anyone to actually tell anything to, do I? I'm always stuck here while you go out and about. I feel like I know the people you work with and who live around the factory because of the stories you come back with. I was just wondering if I'm ever going to meet any of them." Rachel rambled shyly, wringing her hands together.
Carla took in a deep breath before exhaling. "I've already explained why that's not going to happen, darlin'."
"But-"
The businesswoman cupped the child's face in her hands tenderly so she could look her directly in the eyes. "I can't risk someone reporting us. Some people around there…well they're not always nice and a few of them don't even like me. I only tell you the good stuff but trust me…terrible things happen all the time there. I can't risk you being taken away. I don't think social services will let me keep you if they found out you were here."
"So you mean I can stay? Forever?" A wide eyed Rachel asked.
Carla bit her bottom lip softly and nodded. "Yeah. You're my girl. You aren't going anywhere anytime soon." She reassured her. Carla just hoped she could keep the promise she had just made.
Later that afternoon, Carla was sat in her office at Underworld doing some invoices when suddenly her mobile phone rang. She glanced at it to see that it was her home phone and sighed. Carla hoped this would be good as she told Rachel to only contact her at work if it was an emergency.
"What's happened?!" She asked and shook her head dismissively when Frank gave her a look of concern, knowing he thought the phone call was something to do with the factory.
"Well that's not really an emergency is it, darlin'." Carla rolled her eyes when she learned that the reason why Rachel was calling was to tell her they had ran out of pop. "Anyway, the bottle was a quarter full last night." There was a pause as Rachel continued to ramble down the phone. "Well it's a bit early to be drinking it anyway. You should have waited until dinner."
Frank watched on in amusement as Carla near face palmed at the response she received. "Food from the bistro. I told you that this morning." Carla then threw her head back in exasperation when Rachel asked why they couldn't have a home cooked meal for once. "Well I'm sorry but I'm not Gordon Flamin' Ramsay!"
Her business partner sniggered at this and received a glare in retaliation. "Look, I will even pick up a treat for after dinner if you get off the line right now. I hope you haven't forgotten to do what I said needed to be done." Carla's mouth gaped open when Rachel told her she had done all the work she had set up for her. "All of it? Already?! It's only just gone two!" The work Carla had provided for the girl was supposed to have lasted over two days.
On the other end of the phone, Rachel was sprawled out on the sofa lazily looking up at the ceiling and bored out of her mind. She just wanted someone to speak to and currently the only person she cared to speak to was her CC. "Yep. It was dead easy."
"Well I hope you didn't cheat and Google the answers!" Carla warned.
Rachel gasped, "I'm not dumb, you know? I might be a street kid but I have been to stupid school before!"
Back in the factory, Carla sighed down the line, "I didn't say you were stupid. That stuff was supposed to last for two days!" She looked up and watched as Frank left the office before adding, "and you aren't a street kid. Not anymore."
"You aren't going to the pub tonight are you? I'm so bored here on my own!" Rachel whined, changing the subject just so she could speak to Carla a bit longer.
Carla shook her head and went back to watching what she was saying as Frank came back into the room. "Probably not. Look, I really need to go. I'll see you later." Rachel replied back with a somewhat sad 'bye' before Carla hung up the phone.
"The other half?" Frank questioned with a smirk and did Carla sense a hint of disappointment in his tone?
Carla scoffed and shook her head, "just having a…house guest for a few days." She hated referring to her girl as a 'house guest' but she couldn't risk telling anyone about Rachel in fear of her being taken away.
It was crazy, she never saw herself as the motherly/guardian type. She had always found kids a pain in the backside. Her interactions with kids was fairly limited and she only started to spend more time with Ryan in his teen years. Back then she was too caught up in her romance with Paul. She inwardly shuddered at the thought of her first husband and was quick to start focusing on her work before she could start thinking about the second.
"Carla?"
Frank's voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked up at him somewhat vacantly. A look of amusement came across his facial expression. "You ok?" Carla frowned at the genuine concern in his voice. "It's just you zoned out whilst I was talking. I'm not that boring am I?"
Carla laughed softly and shook her head, "sorry, was just reminiscing. What did I miss?"
"Oh nothing important. I was just asking if you wanted to come for a couple of drinks at the Rovers when we're done here? My treat." Frank suggested somewhat nonchalantly but deep down he was praying she would agree. There was something about the raven haired woman that got his heart thumping. It was as if he couldn't get her out of his head.
Carla bit her bottom lip, conflicted over what to do. On one hand, there was something about Frank that made her want to get closer to him but on the other hand she had just promised Rachel she would go straight back to the flat after picking up dinner. Decisions, decisions!
"Uh, well…" she uncharacteristically stuttered.
Frank threw his head back and closed his eyes in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I forgot you have a guest. It would be rude for me to drag you away from them."
Carla contemplated the predicament she found herself in for a moment before she finally took pity on the guy. There was plenty of food in the house. It's not like Rachel would starve, she justified. "Oh what the heck! I could do with a wind down after a long Monday." She said with a bright smile. Frank grinned and Carla pointed a slender finger in his direction, "only for a couple, mind. After all, I do have a house guest!"
Frank shrugged and studied her closely as she sipped her coffee, "if you're that worried about it, why don't you invite them along?"
Carla almost chocked and sputtered her caffeinated beverage everywhere but managed to swallow the liquid down before it went all over both their desks. She covered her chest and shook her head rapidly. "Uh, no. That's not a good idea. The pub isn't really their thing."
The co-owner of the factory tilted his head to one side, "this…guest isn't some sort of secret child you've kept hidden isn't it."
Carla faltered minutely - thankfully Frank didn't notice - before she came to her senses and giggled loudly. "Me? With a kid?! Don't be ridiculous!"
Frank smirked in response. "Now that I mention it, motherhood would look good on you."
Once again, Carla Connor laughed out loud before dashing a scrunched up piece of paper in his direction. "Shut up and get back to work!" She exclaimed and was thankful when he did as he was told.
A couple of glasses of wine ended up turning into more like a bottle and it was nearing nine o'clock by the time Carla arrived back home. It was safe to say she was a little squiffy - although they had ordered a bottle Frank had nursed two small glasses whilst she consumed the rest - as she crept into the flat, not wanting to wake Rachel. She had just closed the door and rested her back against the hard wood. Her eyes were shut as she dreamily thought about her evening. She would be lying if she said she didn't have a good time with Frank. Not to mention she could still feel his lips on hers as she remembered the passionate but tender kiss they shared after he had dropped her off outside her building. Carla had almost invited him up for a night cap until she remembered the child waiting for her. She couldn't risk the pair coming across each other the next morning, especially if she was nursing a slight hangover.
"Where were you?!"
Carla's eyes snapped open as she looked into the living area of the flat only to see that Rachel was still in fact awake and was now glaring at her with her arms crossed and foot tapping. The factory owner almost laughed out loud at the situation. The scene was similar to an angry mother confronting an AWOL teenager.
Instead, a tender smile crossed her lips as she walked towards the child with her arms outstretched. She wrapped her arms around Rachel who stood stiffly for a few seconds before pushing Carla away.
"You stink of booze! You said you wasn't going to the pub after work!"
The look of heartbreak on the child's face caused Carla's smile to falter. "I'm sorry, Darlin'. Time just ran away from me."
Rachel's arms flopped down to her side but she continued to glare, "you're just like all the other adults. I don't know why grown-ups insist kids be good when they're always breaking promises they make!" She huffed before storming off towards the spiral staircase and stomping up to the unused spare room.
Carla pouted almost comically and held up a brown paper bag, "but I brought dinner!" She called after the girl.
"I'm not hungry!" Rachel yelled down and if the room at the top of the stairs had a door, Carla could have sworn the child would have slammed it in order to drive her point of being angry home.
Carla's body visibly slumped slightly before she traipsed over to the kitchen area and placed the abandoned take out onto the kitchen countertop. She then dumped her bag onto the dining table before stumbling towards her own room.
She quickly stripped and changed into a lilac nighty made out of silk before climbing into bed and promptly fell asleep. If it wasn't for the alcohol in her blood stream, the guilt over letting her girl down would have kept her up until the crack of dawn.
A couple of hours later, Carla bolted upright in bed when Rachel's shrieks met her ears. Carla sighed and rubbed at her forehead, starting to feel the after effects of her wine consumption. Putting how she was feeling to one side, she swung herself out of bed and grabbed her fluffy white dressing gown. She began covering herself up as she made her way through the living area and up the stairs to the loft room.
"No! CC! Don't leave me!"
Carla sighed sadly as she watched Rachel writhe around on the bed, kicking the duvet off in the process. She crept over to the bed and climbed onto it, instantly wrapping the girl into a comforting embrace.
"Shhhh. CC's here. I'm not leaving you. Shhh." She whispered.
Rachel, still in her slumber, continued to sob. "Please. Don't go. I'll be good."
Carla kissed the crown of the blondes head and continued her soothing comments. "You are a good girl, baby. You are. Shhhh."
Slowly but surely, Rachel began to still. Carla continued to hold her with one arm while using her free hand to stroke the top of the child's head. Without warning, Rachel turned and buried her face into Carla's chest, her hands clenched fistfuls of Carla's soft dressing gown. She mumbled something almost intelligible and Carla frowned.
"Hmmm?" The dark haired woman questioned as she rubbed Rachel's back and continued running her fingers through the messy bed head.
Rachel peaked up at Carla and stared into her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout earlier. Please don't hate me."
Carla smiled sadly and placed a soft kiss the girl's forehead. "Oh, darlin'…I could never hate you."
Carla softly began to sing 'their song' and by the end, Rachel's breaths had steadied and her grip had loosened just a little. "How about we try and get some sleep?"
Rachel tightened her grip once more, "don't leave me!"
Carla sighed and quickly took the decision to gently but firmly release herself from the child's hold. Rachel whimpered but before she could begin to burst out into sobs, Carla picked the girl up from her armpits and hoisted her onto her hip. The little blonde's legs wrapped around Carla's waist and Rachel's head found itself in a comfortable position between the crook of Carla's neck and her shoulder.
"Come on then, baby. Off to bed we go."
A/N: I'm well aware that the relationship between Rachel and Carla has escalated rather quickly but on the flip side we all know that Carla has a soft spot for people who find themselves in trouble. She is well aware that Rachel is terrified of being sent back into care and she is trying her best to keep that from happening as well as trying to run a business. I hope I have made that clear, if not, please let me know! Constructive feedback is very much welcome!