He met her when he ran away to Scotland. Anne heard Nick fighting with Leanne and had opened the door, asking if everything was okay, finding he was locked out by his wife. She was home alone and offered him shelter from the rain outside. Nick never felt guilty about that night. It was the first of many that he came running to the brunette when he knew her parents were gone. He was just married to Leanne and they were fighting on what should have been their honeymoon. Nick never forgot about Anne when they went back to Weatherfield. He wrote letters for a year, never receiving a reply. So, he stopped writing.

Right now, he wished he had.

Nick looked around the street after opening the door, looking at the boy in front of him. "Yes? Can I help you?" He asked.

"Nick Tilsley?" The boy asked.

Nick nodded. "What's this about?"

The boy stuffed his hands into his sweater, sighing. "She told me not to come, but I just had to see for myself. I'm Noah. I'm your son."

Nick stared at the boy. "Wait...hold on -"

"Anne is my mother." He told him. "Look..." He reached into his pocket and took out an envelope, handing it to Nick. He stared at the writing, recognizing it as his own. He took out the letter inside, eyes widening as he read through one of his first letters to the girl he hadn't seen in decades. "I better go before they look for me. I just wanted to see for myself."

He looked up, finding the boy was gone. Nick quickly stepped onto the street, turning in a circle when he saw the boy was nowhere to be seen. The street was empty.

Nick went inside to get a coat. "Nick, what's wrong? Who was that at the door?" His mother asked.

Nick didn't answer as he rushed out of the house, putting his jacket on. He went to the Rovers knowing that no one lived or passed through Weatherfield without stopping by there.

"Nick, what can I get you?" Liz asked.

"Have you seen a boy, he would be roughly 20 or 21 years old? Blonde hair, blue eyes...he would be with a woman about 37." He asked hopefully.

Liz thought for a moment. "We did have a family of three stop for directions an hour ago."

"Three?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, boy and a girl. Twins, I think she said they were. They're staying at the hotel just out of town." She said.

Nick thanked her before going home to get his car. He found the hotel and went to the reception, lying his way to the room, telling the receptionist he was your husband.

Nick stared at the door for a moment before knocking on the wood. A girl who looked identical to the boy from earlier opened the door. "Can I help you?"

"I, uh," he paused when he saw Noah walking to the door.

"Let him in." He said.

"Who is he?" She asked. "Mum said don't let anyone in unless it's her."

The boy whispered in her ear before her jaw dropped, staring at Nick nervously.

She stepped aside to let him in, and Nick smiled awkwardly, heading into the room. "I'm Nicki."

"How did you find us?" Noah asked, taking a seat on the armchair and gesturing for Nick to sit.

"Uh, Liz at the Rovers. Told me you asked for directions." Nick explained.

"How did you know about us?" Nicki asked./p

Nick glanced at Noah and Nicki hit her brother's arm. "Oh, mum is gonna kill you."

"Why what's he done this time?"

Nick turned to see Anne walking in, struggling to close the door with the bags she was holding. The brunette hadn't changed drastically since he last saw you. A few lines by the corner of her eyes and her hair was shorter than he remembered.

She turned, eyes widening when she saw Nick.

"Sorry, mum." Noah said.

"Get out." Anne glared at Nick who wasn't fazed by the hostility.

"No. I'm not going anywhere." He said determinedly.

They stared each other down for a few moments before Anne caved first. She sighed, placing the bags on the table and looked at her son. "I should've known we'd run into him sooner or later." She looked at Nick. "I think we should have a chat."

He followed her into the adjoining room, the brunette closing the door behind them.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked.

"I didn't think you would care. It was clear to me that you would never leave Leanne, and after running away from my parents after they tried to force me to put them up for adoption, I didn't know to write a letter when I had no idea where you were." Her brown eyes grew angrier as she spoke, but she took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"I wrote to you every week -"

"And what would you do if I was able to tell you that I was pregnant? Pickpocketing on the street just to get food. You made it clear when you left with Leanne that I was nothing but a passing fancy. Your letters mean nothing to me, Nick. Just like I meant nothing to you. I was just there when Leanne was 'bitching' at you."

"No, it was more than that. I was young, confused and I'd found myself in a hole that I couldn't climb out of." He said. "Before I stopped writing, I came right back to find that you were gone. Your parents were gone and the flat was for sale."

Anne frowned, looking down briefly. "You came back for me?"

Nick nodded. "I never forgot about you." He admitted. "I've been in love with you since I was seventeen."

The two heard Nicki say, "Holy shit," on the other side of the door then their son shushing her.

"Oil! Swearing!" Anne called to them. Hearing the twins bump against the door as they scampered away.

Anne looked at Nick, a smile forming on her lips before they laughed.

"They seem like good kids." He spoke up after a few moments, smiling at her. It had been a long time, but she was still as breath-taking as she was then.

"Yeah, they are."

"You did well." He said. "You look great."

Anne smiled at him, playfully rolling her eyes. "Flattery gets you everywhere, Mr. Tilsley." She quoted her younger self, making him chuckle. Her expression became serious, a sigh leaving her lips as she glanced at the door. "We're only meant to be staying for a night. But I'll find somewhere cheaper for tomorrow night -"

"You can stay with me." He suggested.

"No, you don't have to - I've got the cash."

"Then you can buy me a pint." He said.

"I don't want you to feel obligated to-"

"I want you to stay with me."

Anne smiled softly, nodding as she glanced at the door, thinking of how much it would mean to the twins who asked about him often. "I'll think about it."

Nick nodded. "Still stubborn then. Good to know."

She playfully glared at him, and he opened his arms. "Come on, it's been ages."

Slowly, cautiously, she stepped into his embrace, resting her head on his chest. It reminded her of when he held her like this when she had a fight with her parents. He had come in to see her after he saw her parents leave and had found the teenager crying in her bedroom.

It amazed her how much time had passed and yet she still felt that sense of safety, security and belonging.

After a few moments, they left the bedroom and their son stood up from the armchair. "On a scale of one to ten -"

"You're off the hook. This time." Anne told him.

"So...do I call you Nick or pops?" Noah asked. He always tried to make light of a situation by making jokes that he got from his mother.

Their daughter was a lot quieter and wasn't as confident as her elder brother. But she was smarter than him and never let him forget it.

"I, uh,..." Nick glanced at Anne who placed a hand on his arm.

"How about Nick? Just until it settles in." She sent him a reassuring smile, and he sent her a grateful one.

Noah nodded.

"I'm hungry." Nicki said, starting to look through the bags her mother had brought. "Sandwiches again?"

Nick looked at Anne, "I own a bistro. We could go there if you'd like?"

Anne shook her head, "No you've already offered for us to stay with you -"

"Do they have burgers? I'd kill for a burger." Noah said, perking up.

Anne sighed as Nick nodded. Nicki immediately agreeing that she wanted to go.

Nick noticed that the brunette was silently frowning and turned to Anne, watching as she went through to her room, closing the door.

Nick glanced at the twins before following her, closing the door behind him. "If I'm overstepping..."

"No." Anne sighed. "It just...I'm used to doing it on my own. You know, what I said happened won the argument. Then you swan in with your ideas, and I'm wondering if I didn't do everything I could."

"Because I suggested the bistro?" Nick asked. "To be fair, I'm playing 21 years catch up here. I just want to gain a bond with them..." He sat beside the brunette on the bed. "And maybe convince you to stay."

Anne shook her head. "Fancy food won't do that."

"Yeah, I remember. So how about some Chinese?" He smiled, nudging her with his arm.

She laughed and nodded her head. "Yeah, sure."

Nick smiled before turning serious. "I'm sorry you've had to go through this alone. But I promise you don't have to be, not anymore."

"Not if you get your way."

It would take time. They had changed a lot since they last saw each other, but Anne knew the twins wanted to know their father, and how could she get between them? After all, time heals all wounds and eventually, she realized that in many ways she had changed, yet one thing remained the same.

She loved Nick Tilsley.