The sun shone through the curtains as Lia rolled out of bed and sighed, she looked to the clock on her bedside table, she stared at it for a moment watching the time tick until it hit 9 o'clock. She sighed once more as she got out of bed and grabbed her phone off charge and headed downstairs.
"Yes, thank you for that, its much appreciated," Michelle answered talking into the phone as Lia came down the stairs.
Lia stopped on the stairs and waited for Michelle to finish before turning to her aunt, "Who was that?"
"The school," Michelle explained, "They said that cause of the circumstances they are completely fine with you working from home."
"Awe thanks again Chelle, you've done so much for me lately, I really don't deserve you," Lia said hugging her aunt tightly.
"Babe I've told you, I'll always be here for you," Michelle smiled back as she hugged her niece back before letting her go so she could continue talking, "So the plan is, I'm working until late afternoon here so, me and you are gonna go and have breakfast at Roy's and then I'm gonna drop you off with Rob at the factory. Steve's doing a drop off in about an hour near the school so he's gonna pick your work up and drop it off at the factory, okay?"
"Yeah that's good with me," Lia nodded, "But I'll just go to the factory myself, you don't have to take me, I think I know where it is."
"Yeah well after your disappearing acts at the minute I'd rather physically take you there myself," Michelle smirked as Lia rolled her eyes.
"Whatever," Lia commented, "I'm gonna go get changed and then are we going to Roy's?"
"Ah I see how it is, you'll happy go out with me when I'm buying breakfast," Michelle teased.
"I'm not listening," Lia sang as she rolled her eyes and began up the stairs.
A few hours had passed and Michelle and Lia had finished their breakfast at Roy's and started to make their way over to the factory.
"Does Maisie know what's happening with you going to school?" Michelle asked as Lia nodded.
"Yeah, I just said we'll need to see each other in town or something instead, she understood," Lia explained as Michelle nodded before starting again in a sweet voice, "But cause you know how I'm grounded I won't be able to see her until like next week, and well Chelle I'm so lonely right now-"
"I'll stop you there," Michelle scoffed, "Invite her round for tea one night, and that's the most leniency I'm giving."
"Love you Chelle," Lia grinned as Michelle laughed at her and pushed her playfully.
"I know dad," Tracy huffed down the phone to Ken as she walked towards the two women.
"Oh here's little Miss Sunshine," Lia grinned as Michelle elbowed her smirking.
"Be nice," Michelle rolled her eyes.
"Well Peter's a big boy," Tracy scoffed as she walked into both Lia and Michelle without even looking.
"Er excuse me is usually the word," Michelle bit as Tracy went to walk past before huffing as she stopped where she was.
"Dad, I'm gonna have to go," Tracy ended the call before turning to Michelle, "What's your problem?"
"What's with Peter?" Lia questioned cutting in before Michelle could speak.
"What's it got to do with you?" Tracy questioned.
"Nowt," Lia scrumpled her nose up in disgust, "Just wondered."
"Yeah well not that's it's got anything to do with you anymore but he's getting out of rehab tomorrow," Tracy explained.
"Short stay was it," Lia asked.
"Could you not get anywhere to keep him longer?" Michelle questioned sighing.
"Or further away?" Lia muttered.
"Oh quite the duo aren't we," Tracy retorted rolling her eyes, "Yeah well he didn't know about Carla and dad thought it was best to tell him so now he's decided he's coming home tomorrow and there's no stopping him."
"What a way to ruin my morning," Lia criticised as Tracy huffed.
"I don't have time for this, I've got work unlike some," Tracy rolled her eyes before turning around and storming off.
"Great as if not having a mum was hard enough, I've now gotta see his depressed face everyday," Lia sighed as Michelle did too.
"Come on darling, just ignore them," Michelle changed the subject guiding her niece towards the factory.
"I'm bored," Lia huffed as Rob sighed and looked up to his niece who was sat spinning on the office chair. It was well into the afternoon by the time Lia had got bored of her schoolwork.
"Do your work then," Rob answered.
"I've done it," Lia stated.
"Liar," Rob retorted as Lia scrunched her nose up.
"What would you know?" Lia replied.
"Well the fact Steve dropped your work off about 5 hours ago and you've sat and spun on that chair and disturbed my workforce for 3 of them, I'm gonna say you haven't done all your school work in 2 hours," Rob rolled his eyes as Lia huffed.
"Fine," Lia gave in, "But I'm bored off it."
"How do you manage at school for 6 hours if you can't work for 2," Rob mused.
"I get a break and fresh air at school," Lia retorted.
"Well go to the shop," Rob shook his head as Lia smiled.
"See I would, however if Chelle caught me out when I'm meant to be grounded I don't think my life would be worth living, and considering your meant to be watching me I don't think yours would be either," Lia grinned as Rob put his pen down and sighed deeply.
"Fine," Rob breathed, "Let me finish this email and we'll go to Devs, just go get a biscuit or something, keep you busy for 5 minutes."
"Love you uncle Rob," Lia grinned smugly jumping off the chair and walking through the factory.
"Alright kiddo," Sean smiled at Lia.
"Yeah not bad, you?" Lia asked perching on the side of his desk.
"Could be better, ran out of prawn cocktail crisps, I had to bring salt and vinegar," Sean huffed taking another crisp out of the packet.
"Gis one then," Lia grinned as Sean rolled his eyes and reluctantly gave the teen one.
"I usually prefer cheese and onion, me," Fiz joined in as Beth nodded in agreement.
"Oh no," Sally shook her head from the front machine.
"Something wrong Sally?" Sean teased slightly.
"Well I'm not really a crisp person myself but when I do indulge myself," Sally replied as Beth rolled her eyes behind her, "I'm partial to a vegetable crisp."
"Vegetable!" Beth exclaimed.
"What's the point!" Sean chimed in as Lia sniggered.
"I could think of nothing worse," Lia shook her head.
"Oh really," Sally turned around shocked to look at the teen, "I thought Ms Connor would of loved vegetable crisps."
"Nah she's more of a chicken girl," Lia smiled as Rob came out the office.
"Lia," Rob huffed, "Come on you lot back to work, Lia stop disturbing my work force."
"I'm bored though," Lia whinged jumping off Sean's desk.
"I gathered," Rob rolled his eyes, "Come on we'll go to Dev's."
"Finally," Lia celebrated leaving with Rob as he shook his head.
"Chelle's just text," Rob began as they walked out of the factory, "She said she'll be done her shift in about five minutes and she's gonna go and get Amy, if you wanna meet her over there if your done with you schoolwork."
"Yeah but I still need to go to Dev's," Lia nodded.
"Thought you might somehow," Rob rolled his eyes as his niece smirked at him.
"What are you and the ice queen doing tonight then?" Lia grinned.
"Me and Tracy," Rob highlighted as Lia rolled her eyes, "Are going out, our last night of peace before he comes back."
"Oh don't remind me," Lia huffed.
"Hey we'll be alright you know," Rob put his arm around Lia as she leant into his arm slightly, "Even with him coming back, nothing'll change, you've still got me and Chelle, and we're still gonna get your mum out I promise."
"I Know," Lia smiled slightly, looking to him as they stopped outside of Dev's, "Thank you Rob."
Rob took a moment before pushing the door open, "Come on then, what do you want."
"Bottle of wine please," Lia asked as Rob raised his eyebrows.
"Not for me," Lia scoffed, "Its for Chelle and Steve, to say thanks."
"Ah and I suppose I'm paying for it," Rob chuckled walking over to the back shelf.
"Well I mean I could get a bottle myself, but I didn't think yous would appreciate me doing that again," Lia grinned as Rob shook his head.
"Yeah good choice," Rob nodded placing a bottle on to the counter in front of Sophie.
"If it makes you feel any better I was the same," Sophie smirked as Lia grinned.
"Oh yeah so much better," Rob rolled his eyes with a chuckle.
"If it's a present do you want a bottle bag?" Sophie asked.
"Oh yeah go on then," Lia nodded.
"Aha you just keep totting up that bill," Rob retorted.
"Love you uncle Rob," Lia grinned as she took the bottle bag with the wine in off of Sophie, "Your good with the bill aren't you? I'll see you later."
"Cheek of it," Rob chuckled.
"See you for another fun packed day tomorrow," Lia smirked as she left the shop.
She continued up the street until she got to the Barlow's and knocked on the door.
"Oh it's you," Tracy answered.
"And hello to you too auntie Tracy," Lia grinned sweetly as Tracy rolled her eyes and moved away from the door.
"Amy!" Tracy shouted as Ken came out of the living room.
"Afternoon Lia, how's your day been," Ken asked.
"Not too bad thanks," Lia replied as there was a small knock at the door and Michelle pushed it open.
"Hiya," Michelle grinned, "Is Amy ready."
"God Michelle can you not give us a minute, I would like to say goodbye to my daughter," Tracy snapped, "You have had her the past few days."
"I thought Steve said she wanted to come," Michelle checked.
"Yes she does but she doesn't have to be ready as soon as you click your fingers," Tracy replied as Ken tutted.
"Tracy."
"She only asked if Amy was ready," Lia piped up.
"Yeah well you're lucky I'm letting her go with yous, with that Psycho sleeping in the next room," Tracy answered as Lia scoffed.
"Sorry?" Michelle questioned.
"Yeah that's right I heard about her little floor show on the street the other day," Tracy explained, "Talk about like mother like daughter."
"Well I'm not being funny if I were Steve I'd rather have my daughter sleeping in the room next to me than her murderer of a mother," Lia bit as Amy came down the stairs.
"Oh I'm so glad we finally got rid of you and your mother, a lucky escape," Tracy retorted as Lia screwed her face up.
"Lia you and Amy go to the Rovers," Michelle instructed as Amy went to the front door.
"Aha," Lia nodded as she opened the door and muttered to herself, "Cow."
Michelle waited a second for the children to move before stepping closer to Tracy, "I'm not being funny Tracy but I didn't think even you were that low that you would have a go at a child for something that is not her fault."
"No just her psycho of a mother," Tracy retorted.
"Yeah well we all know Carla didn't do anything but somehow Peter had a bit of a convenient escape didn't he," Michelle replied as she went to walk to the door, "And next time you have an issue come and have a go at someone your own age."
"Where's Chelle?" Liz asked as Amy and Lia went up and perched at the bar.
"Arguing with mum," Amy concluded as Liz raised her eyebrows looking to Lia.
"It were deserved," Lia nodded as she moved from the bar, "I'll be in the back if you need me."
"Alright love," Liz answered before continuing to talk to Amy.
Lia walked into the Kitchen and pulled two glass out of the cupboard and placed them on the table putting the bottle of wine behind it. She slumped down onto the sofa and put the tele on before she heard the muffled voices of Amy and Chelle.
"What's for tea?" Amy asked.
"Well I was thinking we could do sausage and mash," Michelle suggested.
"With peas?" Amy continued.
"If you want peas then we can have peas," Michelle nodded pushing the door open for the girl, "Do you wanna help make it?"
"Please," Amy smiled.
"Go wash your hands then and I'll be in a minute," Michelle smiled back at the girl as she ran into the kitchen, she looked over to her niece, "You okay?"
"Course," Lia smiled before pointing over to the table.
"What's this?" Michelle asked.
"A thank you," Lia replied as Michelle smiled at her and reached her arms out to welcome her niece.
Lia got off the sofa and embraced her aunt, "I've even got the glasses out so and Steve can have it while me and Amy cook tea."
"Awe babe," Michelle cooed kissing the top of her head, "Your mum is so proud of you, you know."
"I hope so," Lia smiled back before walking off to join Amy in the kitchen.
"Right Ames, first up potatoes," Lia announced as Michelle smiled and took a seat on the sofa.
