When Dot reappears from the square after serving her sentence, she learns that Nick has also been released from prison. She goes to stay with Pauline's son Mark Fowler (Todd Carty) for a while, and at somepoint encounters Ashley (now Frankie Fitzgerald) after he runs away from home. Eventually, Nick himself returns to the square and reunites with Dot - who is shocked to see her son once more. Initially skeptical over Nick's previous criminality, Dot is pleased to have her family around and moves out of the Fowler household to live with them. Mark, however, is unimpressed due to his longstanding feud with Nick and the two end up clashing with each other on multiple occasions. At one point in New Year's Day 2001, Mark spikes Nick's drink and causes him to fall off a railway bridge in revenge for the trouble he has caused to his family. Nick vows revenge and calls the police on Mark, before telling Dot about the incident. At first she accuses Mark, but later believes his story and the pair work together to deal with Nick's temporarily paralysis. Months later, Nick's feud with Mark leads him to cut the breaks on Mark's motorbike in an attempt to kill his rival. However, Ashley unknowingly takes the bait instead and ends up crashing the motorbike at the launderette in front of his family and the Fowlers. Ashley is confirmed to have died and Dot is devastated. On the night before Ashley's funeral, Dot is horrified to learn that her son is responsible for Ashley's death upon overhearing Nick telling Mark about this during another confrontation between them. The following day, Ashley's funeral takes place and Dot later confronts Nick over the fact that he caused Ashley's death. She then disowns Nick, telling him that he is no longer her son, and he leaves the village in disgrace.