The Bistro blast - Coronation Street [COMPLETED]

Chapter 3

The taxi pulled onto the street, and two tanned humans step out. They have large smiles on their faces and look happier than any couple do on this street at the moment.

"Ahh its great to be home" Michelle beamed. "Now i'm going back to pulling pints all day" Steve rolled his eyes and laughed. Michelle joining in before they're interrupted by Liz.

"Oh you two are home" she lightly smiled.

"Yeah, don't sound to excited to see us!" she laughed as she playfully smacked Liz's arm.

Michelle noticed the blank look on her face and thought something must've happened.

"Is everything alright Liz?" she asked looking back at Steve who shrugged his shoulders.

"Look you better come inside" she said as she took Michelle's bag off her.

"Well this better be good because i need to go around to Carla's and drop off her present i bought her from Spain, ill just leave it on her table for when her and Nick get back from Paris" she said as she followed Liz through to the back room.

"Look i think you're going to have to sit down" Liz said becoming teary eyed.

"Mum are you okay, you're not sick are you?" Steve asked getting concerned.

"No love, but erm things didn't go as planned at the wedding" She said as she fiddled with her fingers.

"Oh don't tell me, Carla got drunk off her face and ended up saying something horrible and going to bed early and Nick couldn't be bothered with her" she laughed.

"I wish" Liz smiled slightly.

Michelle now realised something else must've occurred, surely Carla would have let her know.

"Has Nick dumped her?" Steve asked out of the blue. Michelle smacking his leg.

"I'm really sorry Michelle, but their was an explosion"

"What? is Carla alright?" she asked panicked.

"That's the thing Chelle, she passed away yesterday, in Nicks arms" Liz said as she began to relive the moments.

"no.. no, you must be having a laugh" she looked around at Steve who was as shocked as she was.

"You're pulling our leg aren't you mum" Steve said, this time sounding really upset.

"I'm sorry, i wouldn't joke about something so serious, but Nick is beside himself, Johnny is trying to cope the best he can and i just don't know how thing s will ever be the same" she explained.

"Shes really gone?" Michelle double checked. "She is" Liz confirmed.

Michelle broke down, her tears wouldn't stop and her hands were shaking. Both Steve and Liz rushed to her side and tried to calm her down the best they could.

"Oh my god, i need to see Nick" she cried as she got up from the chair and walked out the door.

Liz and Steve just give each other a worried look.

"Just leave her, she will need time to process this, this is huge" Liz said to Steve who was contemplating going after her.

***

"Nick its me Michelle, please open the door!" she cried. Nick heard her cries and ran to the door and opened it. "Chelle, come here" he said and held her in his arms.

"I'm so sorry" she said as she tried to keep herself from collapsing.

"Don't apologise, its Zeedan and Robert who have the explaining to do" he said said as he held her in his arms and let her cry.

"I cant believe she isn't here, she should be here Nick, SHE SHOULD BE" she cried.

Nick knew Michelle wouldn't be okay when she found out but he doesn't know how to console her well enough, she was shaking and visibly pale. "Come sit down Chelle" Nick said as he guided her from the floor to his couch.

"when is the funeral?" she asked Nick who opened his eyes wide. "sorry, of course, you cant have thought about that yet, would you like help with it?" she asked as she placed a hand on his.

"that would be helpful" he said.

Michelle and Nick sat in silence for a minute until Michelle spoke up. "Why didn't you ring me? tell me she was dead?".

"I didn't want to ruin your holiday, and, i wanted you to find out in person" he nodded as he looked down at his hands and the wedding ring that Carla placed on his finger yesterday.

"fair enough, so what you gonna do now?" she asked him.

"Honestly, find out who was behind the explosion and then get justice for my wife" he said as he looked at Michelle with tears in his eyes.

"You know when Carla was a kid, she would run around at the estate with her other brother Rob and me and Kate, Aidan, Liam and Paul and she would always be the tough cookie out of us all, getting into fights, standing on the edge of quarry's playing silly little games but she would never end up hurt and now, after someone stupidly leaves the gas on, her life is cruelly taken away from her, just as she is starting to find happiness" she sighs through her tear stained cheeks.

Nick takes a breath. "I never thought for a minute me and Carla would have a relationship but we fell for each other, and we fell hard. Her smile lit up my day and just being with her made me happy, i don't know how ill ever move on Chelle, i really don't" he cried as he held the ring up to his lips.

Michelle has now found out about the death and is clearly destroyed by the loss of her best friend, and her an Nick seem to feel comfortable in each others company, will they be able to get through this together and will Nick deal with Robert and Zeedan in his own way?