Tracy hurts

The show's quite good this week, isn't it? Shelley's back for a few days and we've discovered that she's pregnant. That shag on the floor of the Rovers with Charlie before she left did the trick. (pun intended) She says she did it as an act of defiance, to prove she was in control and that he had no power over her. I wonder.

She was drinking that night and then let him come back into the dark empty pub with her for another drink. Alarm bells should have been going off then. He cornered her against the bar and when she didn't move, they kissed. We imagine the rest of it. Perhaps she did do it as a "one for the road", to prove to herself that she no longer cared and no longer felt under his control. I can understand that. Did she get pregnant on purpose? Subconsciously? Maybe but i tend to think it was an accident. After she dumped him, maybe she stopped using birth control. He doesn't seem to be the type that would use condoms regularly. Too arrogant for that. I also think that, while we all know Charlie is always up for it, he was also probably determined to get the upper hand because Shelley was the one that got away, the one that dumped *him* and slipped out from under *his* control. A revenge shag, if you will.

Bev of course, went ballistic when she found out. Understandably. But she did go a bit over the top too. That was the booze talking. Never could keep a secret could our Bev. Blabbed it within minutes to her best friend Deirdre, also the one person she shouldn't have told. The mother of the baby's father's girlfriend. And to Deirdre and Ken's credit, they told Tracy straight away, hoping of course that it would help break them up.

Great bitchfight between Tracy and Shelley with insults flying back and forth. For every name that Tracy called Shelley, Shelley had a great comeback. Tracy didn't want Shelley's pity and Tracy knew the truth of it. I was surprised that Tracy was so hurt, that she loves Charlie. She had more of a crush on Steve, i don't believe that was love no matter what she said. I think with Charlie, at least at first, it was a way out of Number 1. And sure, he's a sexy guy and he's strong and just as manipulative as she is so he was probably a challenge. Two peas in a pod. The couple from Hell. Can she actually love someone properly? unselfishly? probably not. Even her love for her baby seems selfish. She uses her more than she puts Amy first. I'm sure she does love the baby by instinct somewhere. And i think she probably does love Charlie in her own way and that was evident this week when she was so hurt by his actions.

No surprise that he'd deny it at first. He really is a piece of work, laying it on thick with Maria to keep her sweet. Maria is completely taken in but i don't think Tracy ever did trust Charlie completely. Shelley doesn't trust him either and she's got a lot more reason even than Tracy so she's got herself out of dodge but not before Charlie gets a few more threats in but Shelley stands her ground. She got what she wanted from Charlie. And with that she's gone, leaving Charlie to pick up the pieces with Tracy who's still pissed and keeps reminding Charlie that he was able to force *her* into an abortion so why not Shelley. Excuse me? She was never pregnant? I thought he figured that out when he knew about the shoes she bought with the abortion money but maybe he never did find out and she's making sure he doesn't. I'll have to go back in the updates and look.

And you think a Tracy scorned is like a loose cannon, you just wait until she finds out about his ongoing fling with Maria on top of all this. There *will* be hell to pay.