For this fanfic I need you all to imagine that Liam Connor did not in fact get killed, but left instead. I know that if this had really happened then a lot of other things would have changed but let's say that nothing else did. I started writing this a little while back so it's set around the time that Nick found out that Erica is pregnant, so him and Carla weren't together… Apologies for the short length, but I hope you enjoy it and please review so I know whether to carry on or not!
Distraught business woman Carla Connor sat on a bench in a local park, reflecting on her life. Was it normal for so much to happen to one person in less than a decade? Her love life had been more than disastrous, with her latest more serious partner – Peter Barlow – having an affair with their childminder, Tina, who also happened to be about half his age. Oh yeah, and then Tina was killed by Carla's nearest and not-so-flamin'-dearest brother Rob, who's now banged up inside.
It wasn't, well, isn't, an easy ordeal to get over, and just as she thought she'd finally found a nice, respectable man to chase after, Nick Tilsley, his latest fling turns up and, completely out of the blue, announces she's pregnant. Naturally Carla left them to it, the last thing she wanted was to third-wheel on the happy couple, hence the fact she was sat alone on a bench at 8 o'clock in the evening. She wasn't really sure where else to go, normally it would be straight to her best friend Michelle but she was far too busy running a pub to deal with her petty excuse for a life, and she often finds her flat too suffocating at times like this, too many bad memories in there. So a walk down to the park was the next best option, even if the weather was being stereotypical of Britain and soaking her to the skin.
Carla sighed, wondering what she had done to deserve this. She'd just began to reminisce once again, when a familiar voice snapped her out of it. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end at this wonderful sound; there was only one person who had this effect on her, and she hadn't seen him in a very long time. But if he was here… A single tear fell down her cheek at the thought, but she shook it out of her mind, trying to keep a sensible head. Maybe it's just some random guy, who happens to have a similar voice? It must be, right?
She gulped at the idea of him being here, but also at the idea of it not being him. Just the sound of his voice turned her on, and now the underlying longing that had stayed with her all these years had re-emerged. The longing for his lips on hers, her body on his. It was too much.
Carla suddenly stood up and began walking towards the voice, her mind overwhelmed as she remembered how safe she felt in his arms.
Back at Coronation Street, Nick decided to abandon his pregnant girlfriend Erica to go in search of Carla. After going to her flat and getting no answer, he assumed she would either be in her factory, Underworld, clearing her head, or in the pub, pouring her insides out to Michelle. Carla's the sort of person who often needed a bit of time alone, so he stopped off at Underworld first, but again the lights were off, and the door locked.
Half jogging towards the Rovers, Nick began to worry. What if Carla wasn't there? What if she'd driven off, got bladdered somewhere, and done something stupid? He knew she'd been burdened with a lot of guilt because of the recent fire, resulting in the start of a gambling addiction, but he also knew – just by the look on her face – that she was heartbroken when Erica turned up with her news. Anything could have, and still might, happened.
Nick tried to forget all the horrible thoughts that were whizzing around in his mind as he stood outside the familiar green door of his local pub. Stepping in, his heart fell at the sight of Steve and Michelle behind the bar, chatting and laughing to Lloyd. It was unlikely that Carla would be through the back while Michelle was like this out here, although…
"You alright love?" Michelle asked, having noticed Nick's pained expression. His and Erica's news was still very much private, and blurting it out in the Rovers would hardly make it stay that way, so when Michelle offered going through to the back to talk, Nick willingly followed her. Once everything was explained, and his concern for Carla shown, Michelle made it clear that she felt the same, and grabbed her coat and bag before rushing back to the bar. A quick kiss and a passing comment of, "Won't be long." was all Steve received from his wife as she ran out of the pub with Nick in tow.