Rachel arrived at the scene of destruction that was once Peter Barlow's bookies and screamed when she saw Stella Price's battered body lying in the middle of the road with blood pouring out of her head and nose. She was frozen in place until she heard a loud creaking and looked over in the direction of the noise just as Frank was climbing out of the car. Her head shook rapidly as if in denial and took off running towards the vehicle she had last seen her mother in.

"Mummy!" She screeched when she caught a glimpse of Carla laying unconscious in the drivers seat.

However before she could take another step, Frank had grabbed her around the waist and hauled her away from the wreckage. The man ignored the girl's expected protests and once they were at a safe distance away, he lowered her onto the pavement and grabbed onto her shoulders. "I told you to stay at the bistro!" He scolded his daughter and when all Rachel did was sob and continue to fight against him, he shook her roughly. "Look at me!" Frank yelled. He knew he needed to move Carla to the passenger side before anyone came and saw what had happened.

Rachel hiccupped and and rubbed at her eyes, "I want my mummy!" She wailed.

Frank cursed under his breath and closed his eyes before once again focusing on the distraught little girl. "I know you do but right now Mummy is very poorly. I need to check on her and Stella and call an ambulance so I - Mummy - needs you to be a brave girl." He told her, trying to keep his tone soft and soothing.

The eight year old sniffled and stepped back and away from Frank. "Ok." She agreed with as much strength as she could manage.

Frank gave her a soft smile and nodded. "Good girl. Stay here. I'll be right back." With that, he hurried over to Stella to check that she was still breathing before going back to the car where he proceeded to move Carla to the other side of the car. He knew it was risky but the last thing he needed was for her to end up inside. Plus, saving her from a severe punishment would give him some leverage over her should he need it further down the line.

With his act of deceit complete, Frank once again left the car and was crouched beside Stella to give her a more in depth look over. He wasn't a doctor but even he knew that the landlady of the Rovers was in a near fatal condition.

"Frank? What happened?!" Peter Barlow questioned the man as he helped a shocked Frank up from the ground. He looked between the factory owner and the sight of the car crashed into his bookies window. Peter hoped to god that the woman he secretly loved - Carla - wasn't in the car when the crash happened.

"Peter," Frank gasped and gripped onto the man, "call an ambulance!"

Rachel let out a sob and hurried over to the two men. "Is Mummy ok? I want to see her!"

Peter and Frank looked at the girl and separated so the younger man could address her. "Come here, sweetheart. Your mummy is going to be ok. Peter is going to call an ambulance." He attempted to wrap his arms around the child but Rachel shook her head and instead lunged towards Peter who wrapped his own arms around her.

Frank looked at Peter and the child he was holding and the bookies owner gave him a look of pity. He then rubbed Rachel's back as he spoke to her. "Hey, sweetheart, I think Frank could do with a hug from you right now."

Rachel adamantly shook her head again as she sobbed into Peter's abdomen. Quick as a flash, she looked up and over at the man who was supposed to be her father. "No. I hate him. This is all his fault!" She spat out and continued to sob as she buried her face back into Peter.

Frank swallowed and only looked away when he heard hurried footsteps coming towards them. His mother and father ran over to him, both of them slightly out of breath.

"Oh Frank!" His mother exclaimed and Sam was quick to jump into action and dialed for help.

Frank pushed his mother away as she began to examine him for injuries. "I'm fine, Mum." He assured her. "It's Carla and Stella you should be worried about. Anyway, I thought I told you to keep Rachel with you two? Look at her, she's terrified!"

Anne gaped at her son before she turned to look in the direction he pointed to. She frowned when she saw her granddaughter in the arms of the man she had met earlier that night. "Oh, sweetheart." She whispered and went to take Rachel from Peter. However, the girl clung onto Peter and refused to come out of her chosen place to hide.

Peter was very confused at the girl's actions. Surely Rachel would prefer to be comforted by her father and her grandparents - even if she had just met them? He was pulled out of his thoughts when a familiar scream tore through the air.

"Stella?!" Leanne cried and promptly burst into sobs when she discovered the condition of her newfound birth mother.

Sam chose that moment to come over to the small group. "The ambulance should be here right away." He announced.

Frank nodded in thanks. "Can you guys watch Rachel whilst I go check on Carla again? I'm sure Peter wants to be with Leanne as well." He asked his parents who nodded in agreement.

"Of course, son." Sam verbally responded and tentatively approached his granddaughter. He gave a nod of appreciation towards Peter who took that as his signal to pull the child away from him and turn her around. The older man, despite his knees protesting, crouched down in front of the girl and smiled at her encouragingly. "Hey, big girl. You're being so brave. How about you come with Anne and I?" He suggested.

Rachel looked unsure as she glanced around at the scene around her. Frank had rushed back over to the crashed car and Leanne was knelt by Stella begging her to wake up whilst Anne stood just behind Sam. She too was giving her a beckoning smile. The girl then looked up at Peter who felt slightly awkward as the girl silently asked him for some sort of guidance.

Deciding that maybe Rachel would feel slightly better in somewhat familiar surroundings, Peter reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He handed them over to Sam who glanced between the big bunch and the man who handed them to him in confusion. "Why don't you take her up to my flat?" Peter suggested and pointed to the door to his home. "You're more than welcome to make yourself and your wife a brew...we even have hot chocolate for this little one." He added.

Sam smiled gratefully and then focused on his granddaughter once more, a hopeful glint in his eye. "How does that sound, sweetheart? We can wait upstairs in the warm until the ambulance gets here and then we will figure out a way to get to the hospital."

All the fight left Rachel's little body and her shoulders visibly slumped in defeat. "Ok only if you promise to take me to the hospital when the ambulance leaves?" She demanded stubbornly.

"Hey," Peter got the girl's attention, "I will take you all there personally. I promise. Now you go up with Sam and Anne - someone has to show them where the sugar and everything is."

The little girl gave one last sigh and reluctantly accepted the hand that was offered to her by Sam. She slowly lead Frank's parents towards the bookies flat and Peter watched and waited until they were safely inside before hurrying over to Leanne who was still kneeling beside her mother.

XXX

Sam was just about to hand Rachel a mug of hot chocolate when blue flashing lights filtered through into the living room of the borrowed flat they found themselves in. The three occupants went over to the window and looked out to see two ambulances and a police car arrive to the disastrous scene out on the street. They continued their vigil for about fifteen minutes as a big group of emergency service personnel rushed around to check on the casualties.

Frank reappeared in Rachel's line of sight after a while and rushed out of the flat before Anne and Sam could stop her. "Frank!" She yelled and hurried to his side. "Is Mummy ok? Where is she? I want to see her."

Before Frank could respond, a police officer approached them and got their attention. "Mr Foster? I believe this is your vehicle?" He asked and gestured to the damaged car.

The man in question stuttered and nodded as he wrapped his arm around Rachel's shoulder. "Yeah, it is. I'm sorry but can't this wait? My daughter is very worried about her mother so I need to focus on her at the moment." He tried to hold off the questioning he had been expecting ever since his father had called the emergency services.

The police officer nodded in understanding and gave Frank and the little girl a sympathetic look. "I understand, sir but it's best we do this now whilst the events are still fresh in your mind." He saw the unsure look on Frank's face and looked between him and Rachel, "was your daughter in the car with you? If she was-"

Frank shook his head quickly to appease the officer's concerns. "No. No, she's fine. Just in a bit of shock. She was with my parents back at the bistro when the crash happened." He told the uniformed man. "I'll answer some questions now but the rest will have to wait until later when I know my fiance is going to be ok." He insisted.

The officer relented to Frank's request and began asking for a brief run through of how the accident happened. Frank explained how he had turned the corner when Stella backed into the road. He then described how he had swerved in a failed attempt to miss hitting her. "And that's when I lost control and crashed into the betting shop."

Nodding along with the account, the policeman asked his next question. "Had you been drinking?"

Frank hesitated before answering honestly. He looked down at Rachel and gave a fake brief smile. "It was Carla and I's engagement dinner but I only had the one." He explained.

Even though he was telling the truth, Frank couldn't help but feel like the officer didn't believe him. The man brought up the fact that Frank would need to be breathalysed just as Carla was being secured onto an ambulance trolley, something that didn't go unnoticed by Rachel who tore herself out of Frank's hold.

The little girl sobbed as she came to a stop by her semi-unconscious mother who's head was in a head brace. "Mummy?" The girl whispered through her tears as she looked down at Carla.

The injured woman looked around confused until her eyes landed on Rachel. She closed her eyes and sighed in relief as she managed to build up the energy to raise one of her hands to wipe away the girl's tears before cupping the soft pale cheek in her hand. "My baby...I'm-"

The paramedic decided to intervene at that moment. "Try not to talk, Mrs Connor." She advised and then looked at the little girl, "where's your daddy, little one? I'm sure he will want to come in the ambulance with your mummy. Can you go get him for me?"

Rachel looked over at where she had last seen Frank only to see that he was breathing into one of those machines she had seen on those cop shows she wasn't supposed to watch but secretly did anyway. There was no need to move though as Frank was soon done with the breathalyser and quickly hurried over to his family.

The paramedic looked between Frank and Rachel apologetically, "I'm sorry but only one person can accompany the patient in the ambulance." She told them.

Frank placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder and squeezed it in an effort to comfort the girl. "It's ok. My parents are going to follow behind shortly." He replied.

Rachel began to panic. Did that mean she was going to be left with Sam and Anne? That's not what she wanted. She wanted to be with her mother! Why did everyone keep trying to take Carla away from her? Didn't they know that they needed each other?!

"No! I want to come with you!" The girl protested as they began to wheel the trolley Carla was on to the ambulance that was still there. The other had just pulled off with Stella inside being accompanied by Leanne.

Peter heard the girl's shout of protest and, upon seeing the conflicted look on Frank's face, chose that moment to lend the man a hand. "Rachel," he called out as he approached the small group. He stole a glance down at Carla and took in an inward sigh of relief when he saw her chest rising and falling steadily. Brown eyes locked with blue when Peter looked back at the eight year old, "come with me. We just need to get my car and then we will be on our way. Let Frank look after your mummy, ok?"

Frank smiled thankfully at his love rival and gave Rachel a gentle nudge in the other man's direction. "It's ok, blondie. Peter and your grandparents will take good care of you." He then looked around their surroundings and quickly found who he was looking for, "Mum, Dad!" He called out and waved the old couple over when they looked in their son's direction. Sam and Anne stopped and waited for Frank to speak. "Peter is going to take you guys to the hospital in his car whilst I go with Carla in the ambulance." Then a sudden thought occurred to him as he looked at Peter, "I take it you have some sort of child restraint in the back of your car?"

The other man nodded in reassurance, "yeah, of course. Our Si's booster. Frank, try not to worry. You just focus on Carla." He told Frank and gestured to the paramedics who had started to load Carla into the back of the ambulance.

Frank looked over his shoulder to take a quick glance and with one last look between his parents and his daughter, he jumped into the back of the ambulance and waited for it to pull off.

Something told everyone involved that the evening was going to be a long one.

XXX

Rachel clung onto Peter as herself as well as Sam, Anne and Eva -whom they had picked up along the way - followed the man to the waiting area. Sam and Anne split away from the group and approached their son who was pacing up and down the corridor a few feet away from the seating area. Rachel watched the three adults spoke as she sat down in one of the chairs. She briefly caught Frank's eye before looking away quickly only to see Leanne and Eva hugging each other tightly. The little girl looked down at her lap and twisted her hands together. She thought back on what Frank had told the policeman just before the ambulances left the scene. He had said that he had been driving the car when Rachel herself knew for a fact that it was CC who had been doing so! Rachel was well aware that it was wrong to lie so she came to the conclusion all on her own that it must be even more wrong to lie to a police officer!

Tears rolled down Rachel's cheeks as she refused to meet any of the adults eyes. All she wanted was for her CC to give her a big cuddle and tell her everything was going to be ok.

"Hey, your mum is going to be just fine. She's made of tough stuff." Peter assured the child beside him as he naturally presumed that Rachel was just worried about her mother's health. He was totally unaware that she had additional troubling thoughts that no child should ever have to think about. Peter sighed at the lack of response from the eight year old and pulled her into his side comfortingly.

Leanne looked over at the pair and frowned when she saw her partner comforting a child that wasn't theirs. Why was Peter needed to fill in that position when the said child's father was just a few feet away? She approached the pair and made sure to keep her voice gentle when she spoke - after all, it wasn't Rachel's fault that her mother was Carla Connor. Leanne actually liked the girl and thought she was sweet. She had always ben well behaved when she came to their flat for play dates with Simon.

"Peter, why don't you head on home. Simon will be wondering what's going on."

Peter looked up at Leanne from his seated position. "But...you need me here. Simon is fine with my dad and Deirdre. He's probably already asleep." He pointed out.

Leanne sighed and ran her fingers through her shoulder length blonde hair. "I'll be fine. I've got Eva and Karl to keep me company and Simon needs at least one of his parents around tonight." She insisted.

Sam and Anne came over at that moment just in time to hear the dilemma Peter found himself in. "Leanne is right, Peter. You should really be with your son. We'll be sticking around a bit longer for moral support for everyone." Sam told the younger man and sat down in the empty seat beside his granddaughter who looked as if she was about to pass out in pure exhaustion.

Peter, deciding he wasn't about to win the debate, reluctantly got up from his seat and gently pushed Rachel towards her grandfather. He took a few seconds to make sure the girl was ok as she could be before facing his partner. "Call me straight away if you need anything." He told her more than asked.

Leanne gave Peter a small smile and the two embraced for a couple of seconds before separating. The Barlow man then left the hospital but he couldn't help but feel like he was leaving a massive chunk of his heart behind. Not only was he leaving Leanne behind, he also felt like he was abandoning Carla in her time of need as well as the little girl he had grown rather fond of. He just hoped and prayed that he made the right decision as he climbed into his car and drove off in order to go home and see his son.

XXX

About an hour later, the relatives of the two injured women still remained in the waiting area. They were all still waiting for tests to be run on Carla and Stella so they could receive updates on their conditions.

Frank continued to pace up and down until he saw his mother and father sitting with his now sleeping daughter. Both of them looked exhausted and he felt pity for the people who had raised him.

He made his way over to Sam and Anne and ignored the daggers he was receiving from Karl. "Why don't you two go back to your hotel? You look like you both could do with a rest. I'll call you first thing tomorrow with any updates." Frank made sure to keep his voice in a whisper as he gently lifted Rachel into his arms. Thankfully, the little girl remained asleep and unconsciously snuggled into him.

Sam and Anne shared a look before Frank's father nodded in agreement. "Ok, son but don't wait until morning to call us if something drastically changes between now and then." He told his son.

Frank nodded and looked at his mother who kissed his cheek softly before speaking. "Wouldn't it be better if we took Rachel with us? She should really be sleeping in a proper bed." She asked in concern for her grandchild.

Her son shook his head in response. "No, she'll freak out if she wakes up in a strange environment. Plus I'm sure Carla will want to see her as soon as she wakes up." Anne looked at the child in his arms with uncertainty which didn't go unnoticed by Frank. He used his free arm to rub his mother's shoulder in reassurance. "She'll be fine, Mum. Get some rest."

Sam wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders and squeezed gently. "Come on, dear. I'm sure Frank knows what's best for his child. We'll come back first thing." He told her. Anne sighed in resignation before relenting.

Frank sighed in relief as he watched his parents leave the hospital. He turned on the spot and caught Karl's eyes once again. Deciding once again to leave the pressing upcoming discussion for now, Frank walked away from the seating area once more and resumed his pacing. This time a little more gently so the child in his arms remained asleep.

"He ran her over!"

Frank heard a deep voice call out suddenly and looked over to the seating area only to once again find that Karl was glaring at him. The co-owner of Underworld chose not to engage with the upset man and continued the motions he had been steadily maintaining. He groaned when he saw Stella's partner abruptly rise from his seat and walk towards him. Coming to a stop, he decided to hear the man out and hoped Karl didn't cause a scene.

"Maybe now you can explain what happened?" Karl questioned gruffly.

Keeping his cool, Frank responded. "I didn't see her." He told him. "I came round the corner, she stepped out into the road. There was nothing I could do." He made sure to keep his version of events near enough the same as what he had told the police officer back at the crash site.

Karl continued to look him dangerously in the eyes as he contemplated the other man's words. "How fast were you driving?" He enquired, a dark undertone to his voice. It was as if he was hoping Frank would slip up and suddenly incriminate himself without meaning to.

Frank shrugged as best as he could without disturbing Rachel who continued to slumber in his arms. "Not that fast." He stated somewhat nonchalantly as he chose not to rise to the man's bait. The girl he was holding remained thankfully unaware of the conversation going on around her.

"Too fast." Karl assumed between gritted teeth without missing a beat. "Otherwise you wouldn't have hit her."

The volume of his voice was starting to rise slowly and Frank decided that was his opportunity to escape the angry man's interrogation. "I've said all I have to say apart from I am truly sorry. This was all just an unfortunate accident. Now if you don't mind, I think it would be a good idea if we saved the rest of this conversation for a more appropriate time. Preferably when my traumatised daughter isn't around?" He then glanced pointedly between Rachel and the man before him.

Karl, as if just realising the child who was conveniently acting as a barrier between himself and Frank, decided to back off just as a nurse approached them.

"Mr Foster?" The small woman's voice cut through the tension between the two men before her and waited until Frank looked at her before continuing. "Your fiance is ready for visitors now. Would you like to follow me."

Frank swallowed and lifted the child higher up onto his hip. She might be small, but Rachel did become a bit of a weight after awhile. The sooner he got them somewhere more private, the sooner he could put her down and the nurse had just given him an opening to do so. He gave Karl one last pointed look before following the medical figure towards where Carla was being kept.

As they stepped into the private room, the nurse spoke in a whisper. "There are spare blankets in the cupboard if the little one gets cold." She told the man who gently lowered the girl into the visitors chair.

Frank smiled at her in gratitude and nodded. "Thank you." He told her and waited until the nurse was gone before retrieving one of the mentioned blankets so he could cover the girl.

Rachel snuggled into the rough material and continued to snooze. Frank silently praised himself for not waking her and turned his attention to Carla who was groaning softly. He slowly approached the bed and came to a stop when his fiance opened her eyes and winced.

Carla's eyes locked with his and she groaned once again, "Oh, my head hurts." She rasped out.

Frank chose to ignore her complaint and loomed over her. "Carla, what do you think you were doing?" He asked her rhetorically in a patronizing tone. Still slightly disorientated from sleep and the blow to her head, Carla furrowed her brows at him. Frank then elaborated for her. "You were drunk and you took the car. What if Rachel was in there with us?"

Realisation dawned in Carla's eyes and she began to panic. "I hit Stella. I-"

However, before she could carry on talking, Frank hushed her. "No. You've got it wrong. I was driving. No one needs to know anything else." He spoke pointedly and Carla could detect a slight hint of warning in his voice.

A thought suddenly occurred to her before she could ask him anymore questions. "Rachel?! Where-"

"Shhh." Frank soothed and stroked some hair back from Carla's eyes. "She's fine. A bit shaken but she will be ok." He assured his partner as he looked over his shoulder to the girl who continued to sleep. Carla followed his line of sight and sighed in relief when she saw her baby was safe and unharmed. She rested her head back on the pillow as she rubbed her face tiredly. She had just closed her eyes to try and get some more sleep when Frank's next words made them fly open in amazement.

"She called you 'Mummy' tonight. The poor thing was so terrified...because of you and your reckless decision." Frank was able to hide a smirk when a glimmer of guilt flashed in Carla's eyes before she turned her head so she could look towards their daughter once again. He was able to keep a comforting expression on his face when he spoke his next words. "Just remember. No one needs to know what really happened. When the police come, you just have to say you blacked out and don't remember anything."

Carla turned her head sharply and ignored the shooting pain in her skull in result as her eyes widened at him. She had just realised everything he had just said and decided she couldn't go along with his plan. "You can't take the blame for this. We have to tell the truth." She insisted.

Frank sat down on the edge of the bed and took her face into his hands. "It's too late for that now, Carla. I've already lied to the police. If they find out what really happened, we will both go to prison. You were drink driving after already being banned for that exact thing...I've perverted the course of justice. They will throw the book at us and Rachel will go back into care. Is that what you want to happen?" He explained slowly and quietly as if he was talking to a child. Carla went to say something but he quickly stopped her. "I can't lose you." He told her and gave another glance towards Rachel. "Either of you."

Carla, in pain and exhausted from that nights events and the drugs in her system, swallowed back the sickening lump in her throat and slowly nodded her head to show Frank she was willing to go along with his plan. She closed her eyes as a single tear fell just as Frank placed a kiss on her forehead.

He was about to assure her that everything would all work out when there was a knock at the door. The pair looked over at the interruption and another wave of panic coursed through Carla's veins when she saw the police officer standing in the doorway.

"Mr Foster, we just have a few more questions for you. It won't take long." The police officer said.

Frank let out a sigh and nodded. "Of course. Can we take this outside?" He asked and gestured to the sleeping child in the room. The officer nodded and stepped out to wait for him. Frank squeezed Carla's hand and smiled. "Let me handle this. Just remember what I said." Carla gave him another nod and followed him with her eyes as he left the room.

The dark haired woman fidgeted uncomfortably on the bed and had just got herself into a comfortable position when a small voice called out to her.

"Mummy! You're awake!" Rachel exclaimed and shot over to the side of the bed. "I thought you were going to die!" She sobbed.

Guilt once again crept into Carla's heart as she looked upon the face of her upset baby girl. "I'm so sorry, baby. I didn't mean to scare you. Come here." She soothed and despite the pain it caused, Carla helped the child up onto the bed. She let out a soft wince when Rachel snuggled into her side but managed to hide her discomfort as she wrapped her arms around her daughter.

Carla looked over to the window in the room and saw that Frank was still talking to the police. She was pulled out of her own thoughts when Rachel called out to her questioningly once more.

"Mummy?"

A big grin found its way to Carla's lips at the word and she looked down at the little girl in her arms. "What is it, darlin'?" She asked softly.

"It's not good to lie, right? Especially to the police?" Rachel stated rather than asked.

A sinking feeling overcame Carla but she nodded in answer to verify her child's statements. "No it isn't, sweetheart." She ran her fingers through the blonde locks and grimaced when she realised how knotty they were. She couldn't wait until her and her family were home so they could all get cleaned up.

Rachel shifted slightly and buried her head into her mother's chest. "Then why did Frank tell the policeman that he was driving the car when he wasn't?" Carla froze and stuttered as she was at a loss for words. "Mummy?" The little girl questioned when it took her mother a while to respond to her enquiry.

Carla hooked a finger under the girl's chin and looked her in the eyes seriously. "Baby, you can't tell anyone about that ok?" She hated the position her daughter found herself in and she hated what she was about to drag her into even more. However, she knew that Frank was right and that if the authorities found out about what really happened, her daughter would no doubt be taken away from her. She couldn't let that happen. "Frank said that he was driving because I would get into very big trouble. You know how I told you I'm not supposed to drive right now?" Rachel nodded and Carla smiled at the girl's memory, "well if the police found out I was driving, I would go to prison and so would Frank because he lied."

Rachel's eyes widened and she clutched on to her mother even tighter as if she was about to disappear. "I don't want you to go to prison!" She exclaimed and Carla was quick to hush her.

"I know, baby and I won't because Frank is not going to let that happen. He's only telling a lie to protect us all and keep our family together. Does that make sense?" Carla asked. She was unsettled to realise that she was slightly manipulating her child but it couldn't be helped. She told herself that it was for the greater good and that she wasn't lying to Rachel. Frank was only putting them all into this position because he loved them and didn't want to see their perfect life torn apart. Carla couldn't fault that, could she?

Rachel fumbled with the material of Carla's hospital gown and looked down at the tiny gap between them both. "I guess it makes sense." She mumbled in response to her mother who was pulled out of her own thoughts.

Carla smiled and pressed a kiss to the crown of the girl's head. "Good girl and don't you worry. No one is asking you to lie ok? Now..." She began patting the girl's back soothingly, "why don't you try and get some more sleep. It's been a long day."

Rachel nodded reluctantly and snuggled into her mother even more if that was entirely possible. This left Carla to focus back on Frank and the police officer who were still conversing outside her hospital room.

Carla had felt Rachel's breaths evening out as she drifted off back to sleep just as Frank reentered the room. She shifted slowly so she was in a sitting position but made sure to keep her arms securely around the eight year old.

"Frank, what's going on?" She whispered.

Frank sighed and shook his head. "What is she doing there? She could exacerbate your injuries." He scolded softly,

Carla shook her head and refused to let him change the subject. "Never mind that. What did the police say?" She insisted.

Her fiance reached out and gently tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "It went fine. There's no need for you to worry." He assured her although he could tell she had questions circling in her head.

Deciding to ask one of those questions, Carla looked down at the child in her arms to avoid his gaze. "When I woke up in the car, I was in the passenger seat. How did that happen?" She obviously knew the answer to her own question, she just wanted to hear the answer from his own lips.

"I moved you." He admitted. "It's as I said, I can't risk anyone finding out what happened. How would I have been able to explain you being behind the wheel if I was driving? I did what I needed to do."

Carla looked at him, hoping the look on her face conveyed how uncomfortable she still was with their deception. "Frank, I-"

"Shh." Frank hushed her once again, "Just get some rest and try not to think about it. Your focus needs to be on our daughter. Let me worry about the police and everyone else's questions." He told her.

His fiance eventually settled down and laid back down on the bed. Carla looked up at the ceiling as she ran her fingers through Rachel's hair more to comfort herself rather than the little girl. She didn't think she could look at him any longer. As much as she was grateful towards Frank for covering for her, she couldn't help but think there would ultimately be a price for him doing so. He always found a way to get what he wanted and now he had dirt on her. Surely, if Frank truly loved her, she shouldn't have to worry about 'paying' him back for 'protecting' her?

The closer they got to the wedding, Carla was finding it increasingly more difficult to push away the continuous doubts she had about getting married to Frank. Now here she found herself, stuck in an impossible situation with a man she was unsure about spending the rest of her life with.

A man that found ways to lie and manipulate his way out of trouble, no matter who got in his way.