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Carla was reluctantly doing a ‘big shop’.
There’s little she hates more than food shopping, and she knows fine well any snacks she buys she’ll demolish in a matter of hours. Especially when she has the house to herself - no one to hold her accountable.
As she got out of the car to head into the shop, she spotted one Lisa Swain who was mid-struggle as she carried a coffee table to her car on her own. Carla watched from afar as the other woman tried to fetch the car key from her handbag, while still carrying said coffee table.
Carla walked over to her, arms crossed as she approached.
Eventually reaching the detective's eye line, Lisa stared up at the sky and rolled her eyes.
“Of course you’re here” the blonde exclaimed, frustration in her voice.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Carla asked defensively. Stood now only a metre or so away, arms still crossed.
“That you’re always here” she said matter of fact. When I’m not looking or feeling my best she thought.
“Fine then I’ll go and just leave you to struggle” Carla turned on her heel and turned her head back smiling at the woman to tease her. Lisa still struggling with the table.
“For fuck’s sake Carla fine just grab the other side so i can get this over with and can get on with being mortified” she snapped.
“Fiery” Carla teased. She always enjoyed this side of Lisa “are you? out of breath?” She continued to poke the bear.
Lisa still refused to look at Carla, unable to control the frustrated and embarrassed expression on her face. She was relieved when the brunette grabbed the other side and helped her get the table into her Citroen.
Carla turned to her, not letting this go, despite Lisa’s hope. “I thought you were strong, all them criminals you have to arrest?” Carla asked, she’d crossed her arms again.
“You don’t see me wrestling any criminals, I have people who do that for me” Swain replied, cockiness in her tone. Obviously proud of her job.
“Oh DS Swain doesn’t want to get her hair messy?” The brunette continued to tease. She tilted her head in an attempt to make eye contact with the blonde.
“Carla” Lisa warned. Not in the mood to argue.
“Fine fine i’ll drop it” Carla lifted her hands up in defeat. Not wanting to push the other woman too far.
Lisa was looking at her feet, she didn’t have the energy today to put on her detective persona. “I’m having a day of it” She admitted candidly.
“Why what’s happened?” Carla asked genuinely. Immediately dropping the sarcastic tone.
“You don’t wanna know, don’t let me keep you, you’ll have loads to do, I know you’re a busy woman” Lisa replied, starting to play with the car key in her hand. Carla hadn’t seen her like this before.
“I don't think the tea bags will mind waiting a little while longer to come home with me” Carla replied.
Lisa let out a laugh, breaking the sad trance she was in.
“See… that’s better, I like seeing you smile” Carla meant it. She’s very rarely seen the detective smile, often seeing her for more serious scenarios. It was refreshing.
The blonde let out a sigh she’d been holding, finally looking at the other woman
“Get in, I don’t think the whole car park needs to hear my sob story” she nodded towards the car.
—————-
They were back in Lisa Swain’s car. Mirroring themselves from not too long ago.
Without hesitation Swain sighed and started talking, the other woman stared at her expectantly.
“I’ve been moving the last few things over to the new house. The coffee table. It was a gift from Becky’s Mum’s house. It got broken on the way over and it can’t be fixed. It wasn’t special or anything but it was hers.”
She paused for a minute to breathe, she steadied herself before she continued. “So of course Betsy started screaming at me because to her it was my fault so now here I am buying a pity coffee table just so the living room doesn’t feel bare and bracing myself for the wrath of a teenager when I get home”
“Lisa I- , that’s shit. Things get broken - it happens all the time but I promise you, it’s not your fault it can’t be helped” Carla replied, looking at the blonde who looked defeated.
“It hurts. I’d finally got us moved. Our new start. And still I’m finding new ways to hurt us both” Swain hits the steering wheel frustrated, she doesn’t know if she needed to scream or cry.
“Hey” Carla reached out and squeezed the blonde’s hand that rested on the steering wheel. “It's okay, it isn’t going to be easy, but it’ll be worth it in the end.”
After a pause to think, Carla continued. “Look - do you need to get back or can you postpone the teenage wrath a bit and come for coffee with me?” Carla said, she pointed to the coffee shop over the other side of the retail park.
Lisa thought for a moment. She realised she really did want to go for coffee with Carla. She’d decided to put herself first for once. “I can let her simmer at home for a bit”. Lisa replied, letting out a small smile.
Lisa drove them both around the corner to the Coffee shop, leaving Carla’s car in the shop car park. Carla’s food shopping trip was forgotten about.
—————-
“I’ll get it, what do you fancy?” Lisa asked Carla as they entered the coffee shop.
“It’s fine, I can get my own” Carla replied immediately, independent as ever.
“Carla, sit down and tell me what you want” Lisa says slightly sternly, she is used to giving orders that’s for sure.
“Yes ma'am” (Carla saluted at the other woman in jest) “can I just have a latte please?”
“Coming right up” the blonde nodded, making her way to the till as Carla sits down.
A few moments later she came back with their drinks, flashing a smile as they made eye contact.
“Who’d have thought it’d be you serving me coffee” the brunette mocks.
“Don’t get used to it” Lisa replied, meaning it.
Carla looked up from her seat at the blonde, tilting her head. “Not fancying a change of career then officer?” She asked teasing her.
“Shut up and drink your latte” Lisa Swain stared directly into her eyes with a warning. She pointed at the brunette's drink as she sat down opposite the woman.
“Ooh someone’s bossy today” Carla was apparently feeling brave, poking the bear.
Lisa broke the eye contact looking down at the table.
“Sorry… it’s a habit of the job” She muttered, apologising.
“I’m not very good at being told what to do” Carla replied as she took a sip. Not letting the other woman change the tone.
“You are drinking your coffee are you not?” Lisa replied with a raised eyebrow, returning to the banter.
“Fair enough, you win” Carla replied with a raised eyebrow of her own.
“So you’ve managed to actually get a day off? Part of me thought you just slept at the station” She continued, tilting her head as she spoke.
“I do have a life outside of work Carla” Lisa deadpanned.
“Do you?” Carla asked, part genuine part teasing. it was true, it seemed the other woman was always working even when she wasn’t supposed to be. Especially in the last few months it seemed she was working every hour.
Lisa’s face faltered slightly at the comment.
Carla spoke again “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that I just mean, your work is your life, you do an insane amount of hours, you’re always alert, I meant what i said a few weeks back, the ‘meter off’ moments make the difference”
“It’s always been my life, I don’t know any different” Lisa replied candidly. It’s rare that she stopped long enough to realise she was exhausted.
“Listen, right here right now, you’re just plain old Lisa”
“Wow nice thanks” Lisa replied looking down at her hands embarrassed about the situation asif she’d been caught.
Carla shook her head at her own comment.
“I mean, we can talk about anything you like, the only rule is it can’t be anything to do with work” Carla suggested, trying to brighten the mood.
“Fine” Lisa replied. Carla looked at her expectantly, awaiting a new topic of conversation.
They sat in silence for a few moments as Lisa searched her brain for something, anything.
“Oh come on, nothings coming to mind?” Carla asked impatiently.
“I'm not good at this, I don't go for coffee with friends, I don't have a day off, what are we supposed to talk about? the weather?” Lisa exclaimed frustrated.
“Oh we’re friends now” was all Carla took from that apparently - a small knot in her stomach.
“Shut up Carla” Swain snapped with a smile. “Sorry” here she goes apologising for herself infront of this woman again.
“God you’re tense, maybe you need a spa day” Carla looked her up and down. Lisa wondered if it was in judgement or pity.
“You don’t know me at all, that’d be my worst nightmare” Lisa replied, more defensive than intended.
“Ok go on why?” Carla prompted, starting to get somewhere.
“Imagine, halfway through a massage and my phone goes saying there'd been a massive incident, ‘oh sorry can you hand me my clothes back I need to go arrest some people’, nope, no thank you” Lisa explained to the other woman.
Carla let out a little giggle, not helping but imagining the situation. She shook her head to get the thoughts away, not letting herself think for too long.
“And you’re back to talking about work, that took maybe 15 seconds” Carla explained, looking at an imaginary watch on her wrist for dramatic effect.
“Ok Carla, if you’re so good at this, you change the topic” Swain dared, shooting a glare at the other woman, a dangerous glint in her eye.
“Right, let’s see” Carla put her hands together meaning business and proceeded to look down at the other woman as if she was assessing her, allowing her gaze to cross her and take her in. She took a long breath before continuing. “Your coat, it’s gorgeous, where did you get it from? It really suits you” The brunette settled on referencing the brown leather jacket Lisa was wearing. It really complimented her, she thought.
The blonde nodded, taking the compliment “thank you, it’s from asos, I feel put together in it” blushing slightly “even when when I feel like shit” she added
“I mean it” Carla reassured, her eyes scanned the jacket and the woman wearing it once more. ‘and now I’ve learned that you’re an online shopper” Carla said as she prodded the other woman’s shoulder.
“I do like a good scroll though the apps” Lisa admitted.
“Me too, and then £200 later I’ve bought half the site and won’t like any of it when it’s delivered, I don’t have the self control” Carla replied with a laugh. Shopping was a weakness of hers, everyone knows that.
“We’ve already established that I have better self control than you” Lisa replied with a glint in her eye as she drank her coffee.
They had a moment of silence, both women content with letting the world take a spin for a few minutes, people watching out the window of the shop.
That was until Carla broke the peace. Her mind was preoccupied.
“So why didn’t you arrest me, you arrested Bobby?” she asked, the question had been eating at her the last week or so.
“Are you seriously asking me that Carla? I thought we weren’t talking about my job” Lisa said avoiding the question.
“We’ll you weren’t very good at that so I gave up” Carla tried to jest, not disguising her ulterior motive.
“You give in far to easily, maybe I should have pushed you a little harder when I was trying to get you to admit you lied” Lisa raised her eyebrow, daring the other woman to finally prove her right, even though she already knew. She wouldn’t do anything with the information, not now.
“I'm not saying anything”
“What would the point be in arresting you? what would the case have gained? I don’t just get off on arresting people for no good reason” She finally answered.
She told herself that this was the truth. Deep down she knows anyone else on the case would have acted differently. Even if they still would have got to the same conclusion.
In truth she doesn’t know why she didn’t arrest her, only that it was never her intention.
“You had reason though” Carla whispered. “Plus you’ve already arrested my ex-husband, nephew and best friend, you may as well complete the set”
“-and then we’d have to have a full interview just to get the same conclusion that the statement was false and I was right all along” the detective explained. She was so busy that day she wouldn’t have had time to interview Carla as well.
“-so it’s about you being right” Carla caught onto that line. Of course she did.
“It’s about justice” Lisa lowered her voice and spoke slowly. As she’d explained so many times before, all she wants is to make the world a safer place for Betsy. Arresting Carla was never going to help that.
She wouldn’t mind the world having a few more Carla’s, she thought, even if she was a self-admitted ‘nightmare’.
They stared at each other smiling as they finished their coffees and left, the blonde dropping the other woman at her car on the way past. She felt so much better than she did earlier. Her mood 100x better after that coffee.
————-
The next day Carla was behind the till talking to Nina when DS Swain comes in to Roy’s.
“You here to arrest someone else innocent officer?” Evelyn piped up from the nearest table.
“Good Morning Evelyn, I’m just here for a coffee and to support a local business”
Evelyn muttered something less than polite in return but Lisa chose not to listen.
She looked up and her eyes met Carla’s. Instantly any anxiety she’d felt entering the cafe had gone.
“Don’t worry DS Swain, you’re welcome here” Carla spoke, shooting the older woman a warning look before looking back at the detective with a sympathetic smile. Carla using her surname in public wasn’t lost on her.
Roy wouldn’t accept the negativity and neither would Carla while he was away upstairs.
Nina went to clear some tables which left Carla to serve the woman.
“White coffee one sugar please Carla” Swain asked with pleading eyes.
“Not sweet enough huh?” Carla teased, voice quiet so only the both of them heard “so it’s my turn to wait on you?” She continued as she met the blonde’s eyes and raised her eyebrow.
“You can wait on me anytime” she teased right back, brightening up.
Nina made her way back over making the ladies break eye contact. The detective went on to make small talk with Nina, trying to gauge how Roy was doing while Carla made her coffee. She was relieved to hear he was doing okay for now.
“I’ll bring it over” Carla shouted over, inviting Lisa to get a table.
DS Swain sat down and took her jacket off to get more comfortable. This is perhaps the first time she’d come here not solely for work. She couldn’t help feeling slightly out of place, entering a world she’d studied so much.
A few moments later she spots Carla bringing her coffee over along with a cake. The brunette sat herself down opposite the other woman, inviting herself to join her for coffee.
“For me?” She asked, confused slightly considering she hadn’t ordered a cake.
Carla nodded silently.
“Heard you needed sweetening up today” she added after a beat.
“I do love cake, how’d you guess?” She asked gratefully, breaking into a gleeful smile.
“Who doesn’t like cake?”
“Half it with me?” She asked, happy to share with the other woman after her kind gesture. The situation still felt a little foreign.
“Fine” Carla replied asif she’d twisted her arm.
“What are you here for?” She continued curiously, wondering if there was an ulterior motive to visit.
“Am I not allowed to just pop into a cafe for a coffee?” Lisa asked. She started eating the cake in front of her as the other woman did the same.
“And out of all the places in Weatherfield you choose here?” Carla had a point, she could have visited a number of cafe’s rather than Carla’s local.
“Well I won’t be coming back, the staff keep hounding me before I’ve had my morning coffee” she replied in jest.
Carla stared at her, still not sold on why she was there. “Ok I’m still trying to see how Roy is, I suggested counselling to him and I really think he should consider it. Would you suggest it to him? He might listen to you?” DS Swain continued. It was worth a try.
“I can tell you right now he won’t do it but look, I’m keeping my eye on him, don’t worry.” Carla answered honestly. Lisa knew it was true. She took a big sip of her coffee, settled in her seat. Slightly more reassured than when she first entered.
“Thanks Carla, and thanks for the cake. I’m gonna have to get back to the station soon”
“Before you go, are you all settled in the house now? how’s your daughter been with it?” Carla reached forward to ask, not quite reaching the blonde’s arm but outstretched on the table with the same intention.
“Yeah, better actually, things are starting to get better …she says it’s not as bad as she expected it to be. I’m actually off Saturday and Sunday this week and Betsy is with her friends so I can finally get the living room and kitchen painted in peace” Lisa said with an eye roll.
“Why not get a decorator in?” Carla asked, unsure why anyone would go to such a bother to spend days on end painting.
“Contrary to belief I actually don’t mind a little paint on my clothes, or letting my hair get messy. I find it’s therapeutic” Lisa replied, leaning in to the other woman.
“Do you actually have clothes that aren’t all detective-y? I can’t think of anything worse than painting a wall for hours” Carla asked, having never seen the detective dressed truly casual. She supposed vice versa was true as well. Carla very rarely went out the house underdressed.
“Can’t be any worse than using a sewing machine all day” Lisa replied sarcastically, aiming to mock the other woman.
“Is that what you think I do?” Carla bit. Smiling back mirroring the detective. The brunette crossed her arms.
“Wouldn’t know” Lisa shrugged. She put her coat back on to leave. “And I definitely won’t be painting dressed all ‘defective-y’” she added, laughing at the other woman’s word choice.
With that she left the cafe, Carla still sat where she left her unmoved.
—————-
The following Saturday afternoon Carla Connor was sat at home watching Scott and Bailey as usual - a new tradition it seemed. She’d just pressed play on a new episode when she received a text.
She stared at her screen for a moment, taken by surprise. It was from Lisa Swain.
Carla bit her lip as she opened the photo to full screen. It was a photo of the other woman wearing denim overalls that were splattered with paint. Sporting a messy bun and a wide smile she was posed in front of a freshly painted wall.
The text message following simply read ‘proof’.
Carla caught herself unintentionally beaming at her phone. If anyone saw her at that moment they’d wonder what she was looking at. The other woman looked completely different from usual, the detective persona completely shed. A joy on her face Carla hadn’t ever seen when she’d been working. This wasn’t DS Swain, this was Lisa, the real Lisa.
Finally she started typing out a reply. Trying a few before settling on her final message. Too many thoughts to process in the moment.
‘proof of what? that you look like an overgrown toddler?’ She teased, unable to help herself.
‘you don’t want to upset an overgrown toddler’ Lisa replied, matching Carla’s tone.
‘definitely not, she might kick over the paint can’ Carla replied.
After a moment she followed it with ‘you’ll have to show me once it’s all done and decorated!’
‘I’ll give you a full house tour’ Lisa replied excitedly.
‘Looking forward to it’ Carla replied. Curious how Lisa was going to decorate in her own style. But in all honesty, she was happy for the excuse to speak to the other woman some more.
As she continued her Saturday afternoon, her mind couldn’t help wander to the blonde and how she was getting on with her painting weekend. She refrained from texting her any more, not wanting to distract her. Part of her, however, kept checking her phone to see if Lisa had sent her any updates.