The days flew by in a blur after Carla's arrest and some how it had been nearly a week since, Michelle and Rob tried their best to keep Lia's hopes up and keep everything as normal as possible but it became harder and harder as gossip sharp flew around the square. Michelle had tried to encourage Lia as best as possible to still go to school and stick in while their try and plead her mother's case. Carla had been moved to the nearest prison the day after she was charged and no one had been able to see her yet. Michelle and Rob had decided to share the responsibility of the factory while Carla couldn't take care of it. Rob had made a visiting order request to visit Carla around about midday so had said he would drive Lia to school on the morning.
"Lia, come on," Michelle shouted up the stairs, "Rob's here!"
"Leave me alone Chelle," Lia called down, "Your lucky I'm going don't expect me to be on time!"
"Excuse me," Michelle scoffed raising her eyebrows.
"She'll be down in a minute, ignore her," Rob huffed laughing slightly.
"Wow," Michelle shook her head.
"She been like that since the arrest?" Rob asked.
"Oh yes," Liz sang as Michelle scoffed slightly.
"Just more attitude than usual," Michelle explained as she came down the stairs.
"What we talking about?" Lia smiled.
"You," Rob smirked back.
"Sorry if I've been a bitch-"
"Oi," Michelle warned as Lia rolled her eyes.
"I am sorry though," Lia repeated.
"Don't be silly, it's hard for you and everyone right now, don't worry about it," Michelle explained.
"Thank you for understanding," Lia smiled and hugged Michelle as Michelle leant into the hug.
"Right come on trouble, we're defo gonna be late now," Rob hurried his niece along as she grabbed her bag.
"You going to see mum today," Lia asked as they walked out towards the front of the pub.
"Yeah, anything to pass on?" Rob asked.
Lia stood still for a moment silently thinking before shaking her head, "Nah just tell her I love her."
"I will," Rob nodded as Michelle looked at the teenager sympathetically.
"See you later Chelle," Lia smiled as her and Rob walked out, Michelle waved after them.
A few hours had passed and Rob had dropped Lia off at school and made sure Michelle was settled with the factory before making his way to his visit with Carla. He sat in the car for a few minutes beforehand before taking a deep breathe and walking into the prison entrance. The buzzer echoed through the visitation room as Rob pulled his seat closer to the table and the doors began to open. After a few women had passed his gaze finally locked with Carla's and he stood up to hug her as she walked quicker towards him. The older woman collapsed into his embrace as her shoulders relaxed and almost all the tension escaped her body.
"Hey sis," Rob smiled at her as they took a seat, Carla attempting to match his emotion.
"How's Lia?" Carla asked.
"She's good, she's still got her attitude, but she's good," Rob smirked as Carla attempted a laugh, "She's staying with Michelle, she's went to school the past couple of days and she's settling. She told me to tell you that she loves you."
A tear fell from Carla's eyes as she immediately dropped her head and sighed, Rob couldn't tell whether it through relief or sadness but he reached his hands out to take his sister's.
"How are you?" Rob asked.
"Holding up," Carla concluded.
"Carla-"
"Your niece or nephew is giving me a right telling off lately, barely ever get any sleep," Carla attempted to joke chuckling slightly.
"Stubborn like their mum that's why," Rob commented as Carla rolled her eyes.
There was a silence for a moment but before Rob went to speak Carla cut in, "Pauline says depending on whether Tina ever wakes up and what she will say when she does, I could get anything from 5 to 15 years in here."
"That's not gonna happen," Rob tried to reassure her.
"Well unless you get your sherlock hat on, I don't see how your gonna change that," Carla explained.
"Yeah well mine is on and half the street's," Rob assured her.
"I doubt that, I'm hardly neighbour of the year am I," Carla commented.
"You'd be surprised," Rob replied as Carla rolled her eyes with a slight chuckle.
"Yeah you'll be telling me Tracy's the lead in the marching band of support next," Carla smirked as Rob smirked back shaking his head playfully.
"How's the factory?" Carla asked.
"Is that all you can think about-"
"Well yeah, it is practically my other child, I helped raise that after Paul and Liam," Carla rolled her eyes.
"Yeah well it's fine, all the orders are still going out, me and Michelle are co-sharing it at the minute to make sure everything's ticking over," Rob explained.
"God you and Michelle sharing and not arguing like children over it, shit really must of hit the fan," Carla grinned slightly.
"Yeah well no one said there wasn't any arguing," Rob rolled his eyes as Carla shook her head.
The siblings talked for a bit longer before the buzzer echoed through the prison once more, Carla looked as if all her hopes and dreams had been shattered once again as she had finally came out of her shell. They both stood up and Carla hugged her brother tight before kissing the side of his cheek and giving a short wave and walking back into the prison not looking back once.
Rob took the long way home from the prison, he was trying to keep his thoughts together and keep everything as good as he could for Carla, but seeing her in the way she was hurt him more than he thought. He pulled up outside the factory and leant his head on the wheel for a moment, he sighed deeply before turning the ignition off and getting out the car. He walked into the factory to the sounds of the machines beating as always and into the office to see Michelle reading something off of the computer.
"Hey," Michelle welcomed looking up from the screen and pushing the chair a bit away from the desk, "How was she?"
"She looked shattered, which was expected obviously, she was quiet at first wanting to know about Lia and the factory. She was like herself at some points being sarcastic as usual, but she just looked empty. She barely wanted to talk about prison, how she was, how long she thinks she'll be there etcetera," Rob explained as Michelle sighed.
"I've put in a visiting order for next week," Michelle told him.
"I don't know how long she'll last in there, I really don't. She is so strong but I don't know if she is strong enough to handle this," Rob sighed as Michelle looked to him desperate for something good to happen.
"One thing she did say," Rob started after a moment of silence from the pair, he began to laugh slightly before finishing his sentence, "She said if we are sharing the factory and not arguing like children then shit must of hit the fan."
"Yeah well its only been a week, still time to put you in your place," Michelle retorted as Rob rolled his eyes pulling his phone out.
"Right are you still okay here if I nip over to the shop and make sure Tracy's okay?" Rob asked.
"Yeah I'm fine here, quick run and see if her ladyship has lasted without you for a couple of hours," Michelle taunted.
"Be nice," Rob rolled his eyes as he went to walk out the door.
"Nice," Michelle sniped back, "She wouldn't know nice if it came and smacked her."
"Goodbye," Rob called as he shook his head and left the office.
"Are you sure I'm still alright to come over? Even after everything that's happened?" Maisie asked turning to Lia on the bus.
"Yeah course, Chelle won't mind, neither will Liz or Steve, they'll be working and Chelle'll probably be at the factory still," Lia explained.
"Alright do you-"
"It's nice isn't it," A voice began behind them, "Even when your mum's a murder, you still have time to see friends."
"Ignore her," Maisie rolled her eyes.
"Give it a rest Abbie," Lia sniped back turning to the girl.
"Oh someone's touchy, can't say anymore, she might push me off a balcony," Abbie grinned, "What is it, like mother like daughter."
"Ok, leave it," Maisie warned Lia putting her hand on Lia's arm as Lia began to turn to face the girl, "Come on this is our stop."
"You know Lacey, I think I fancy a walk, I'm gonna get off here, I'll see you later," Abbie smirked to her friend and stepped out of the seat behind were the girls once were and walked to the front of the bus.
"God sake," Lia huffed whispering slightly, "Why has she got off here."
"Come on lets just get to the pub," Maisie replied.
"No let's just walk around for a bit she'll only follow us in if she's in the mood she's in," Lia answered as she shook her head and turned the corner before the pub to walk up to the factory.
"Lia!" Abbie sang as Lia shook her head and continued walking, "Oh Lia!"
"She has been doing my head in all day," Lia fumed as Maisie nodded.
"What's up Lia, not in the mood to talk," Abbie asked smugly.
"Just leave me alone Abbie, I can't be arsed with you and your little comments right now," Lia sniped.
"Oh but I was having so much fun talking I mean we have so much to bond over," Abbie grinned, "I don't see my mum, you don't see your mum ... granted mine works nights at a hospital saving lives, yours takes lives."
"You bitch!" Lia shouted as she dropped her bag off of her shoulder and threw it on the floor, she began to make a run and jump for Abbie.
At that moment, Sally who was talking to Tim on the phone saw the commotion and ran back inside the factory, as Tracy stepped outside of Dev's and too saw the fight breaking out.
"Rob!" Tracy shouted back into the shop as Lia grabbed onto Abbie's hair and pulled it towards the ground making the teenager scream.
"What," Rob huffed coming outside the shop to see his niece and the other girl.
"Lia!" Rob exclaimed from across the street and began to run over.
"Get off me you psycho!" Abbie screamed as she clawed at Lia to push her away.
Lia began to push the other teen to the floor as Rob came and picked his niece up and placed her away from Abbie, "Lia what the hell! What are you playing at?"
"Her!" Lia exclaimed pointing to Abbie as she collected her bag together, "Calling mum a murderer, she doesn't know the half of it!"
"I see its exactly as I thought, like mother like daughter," Abbie sniped.
"Oi," Rob snapped as the teenager.
"Watch yourself, I won't let you have another free shot," Abbie scowled before stalking off in the other direction as Michelle came out of the factory.
"Rob," Lia began.
"No, don't even try, I mean do you really think any of us need this right now, do you think your mum needs this, Chelle, me. Just cause your mums not here-"
"Yeah she's not here for a reason, if she was here I wouldn't be struggling, I wouldn't be literally fighting for my life in school, dealing with bitchy comments, do you really think its fair on me either!" Lia shouted at the man before storming off towards the bus stop.
"Lia!" Rob called after her.
"Go to hell!" Lia shouted back not bothering to turn around and continued walking.
"Rob?" Michelle questioned walking towards him and Maisie.
"I don't even know Chelle," Rob started before he was even asked.
"It's Abbie and her friends," Maisie explained, "They've been slagging Carla off for days, well since the affair to be honest, I think Lia just finally snapped."
"Poor kid," Michelle sighed as Rob nodded in agreement.
"Do you want me to go after her?" Maisie asked as Michelle shook her head.
"No its alright darling, you get home, thanks anyway," Michelle replied.
"Alright," Maisie nodded with a short smile, "I'll ring you if she gets in contact."
"Thanks darling, see you in a bit," Michelle waved off as she turned to Rob.
"I don't even know where to start looking, I mean I'd phone her but its not like she'd answer me right now," Rob explained.
"Come on, let's go in the factory, we can sit down and try to come up with a plan, try and see where she's gone as well," Michelle suggested as Rob nodded heading towards the factory.