CHAPTER TWO
After Barry had ensured that Sophia had eaten a little bit of food, he left in search of some clothes for her to wear in favour of the current thin hospital gown she was sporting. Included in the clothes that he soon delivered were a pair of underwear, and she blushed at the sight of the bra, especially when she saw it was her exact size, but then she reminded herself that on this earth Barry had been married to her for quite some time, and it wasn't a big deal. She scratched the back of her neck awkwardly at the memory of his confession that he had been married to her doppelganger on this Earth. She swore she had never been redder in her entire life and she wasn't sure exactly why considering that she had known it would be a possibility in her future. She just attributed it to the fact that Barry Allen no matter what Earth would always get her flustered in one way or another.
Now dressed comfortably in a pair of warm black jeans, her feet covered with a pair of dark blue converse, and a thick white jumper wrapped around her, she felt more at ease than before. Barry had offered to take her on a tour of the space station they were on, known as the Watchtower. For most of the tour, she just watched with wide eyes, taking it all in as Barry explained and guided her throughout the massive complex.
It was a shock to her that this was even possible, and she was giddy at the notion of it happening in her future soon enough. She whispered to Barry that she felt as though she was in an episode of Star Trek, aboard one of their grand space stations, and he laughed so loud that she blushed a deep red at the outburst. He told her that it was funny because when he had first come aboard the Watchtower after it had been built, it was also one of his very own thoughts about the layout of the space station and he reassured her that she had nothing to be embarrassed about. She felt relaxed in Barry's presence, and just like the one on her Earth, just like her Barry, he made her feel calm, like she had no worries in the world. She hated to think what would have happened to her if she had accidentally been thrown in another timeline or parallel universe. From what Barry had said with his experience with these things, was that it wasn't always sunshine and daisies, in fact, quite often, it was the vast opposite.
Barry had then drawn her out of those dark thoughts as he explained that there was a team member on the League that would be able to help her travel back to her Earth considering that the portal she had entered through had closed shut as soon as she was dropped into this parallel universe. He told her that in the future they would form a group called the Justice League. It would be compromised of the earth's greatest heroes, meta-humans, aliens and humans alike. He only mentioned a few brief names and she noted that quite a few sounded familiar and that put her at ease, knowing that once they met up later, it wouldn't be too shocking considering she knew these faces. As she walked down the hallways with Barry she noticed the red-head from before fly by, the young girl doing a quick turn as she waved at Sophia, wishing her well. Sophia just smiled politely and mumbled a thanks, too shocked at the girls green skin to say anything more. She felt terrible, but she had never seen anything like it in person, and the girl didn't seem too offended, waving a cheerful greeting at Barry as well before moving on.
Her arm was still sore, but Barry assured her that the broken bones that she had arrived with had healed. He told her that it only felt that way because she had been stiff and not moved them for months, and that it would be a few days til she felt back to normal, a sentiment that reassured her greatly. She was eager to discover more about this Earth, but she was focused on returning back home after all this time.
"Ready to meet the team?" Barry asked, watching her expression. She paused for a moment, her eyes hardening slightly before she gave him a firm nod. I can do this. Even though she was nervous as hell, she was buzzing with excitement to meet these people. Barry had spoken so highly of them that she couldn't help but be enamoured with it all.
"I'm ready to go home," She told him.
He pressed a button, opening the first barrier of metal leading to another set of doors. Taking a step forward into the new and small hallway, he inserted a four digit code into the side panel of a door, a beep of recognition and a bright green light blinking, accepting the password. A round metal device then sprouted from the wall, scanning Barry's eye, and once satisfied, announced that they were clear to enter the room.
The two large metal doors that had been closed, slid open to reveal a large room with a wooden table in the middle, seats all around, most of them already filled with what seemed to be the members of the League. She recognised a few, picking them out in the crowd in an instant, making her feel more relaxed.
She spotted Clark sitting at the head of the table, next to him a girl with blonde hair and a similar symbol on her chest, making Sophia realise that they must be related in some way. Her eyes then met Oliver's, noting that he was now dressed in his Green Arrow garb rather than the previous casual clothes he had been wearing when he interrogated her that morning. Next to him, she saw the Black Canary, and though she hadn't worked with her personally, she knew of Laurel Lance, and the hero that she was. And it was then that the familiarity had ended.
There was a man that was green, with red eyes and a stunning stature. Sophia noted that he looked similar to the red headed girl from earlier, especially since their uniform also matched up.
Then there was a man in a charcoal coloured suit, with a mask that seemed to resemble something similar to that of a bat. His jaw was set, and his expression hard, making her feel slightly more anxious than she had been before. She quickly averted her eyes to the next person to see him already smiling at her.
He was wearing a dark green suit, with lighter highlights of different shades of green that seemed to be glowing, a giant ring looking symbol on his chest… at least that's what she could see from where she was standing.
And finally, a man in dressed in an all-black ensemble, consisting of a three piece suit, and a top hat. He looked like a magician, and Sophia wondered if he was the man named Zatara that Barry had briefly mentioned to her in their tour.
"Please, take a seat," Superman said as the team all watched Sophia walk over hesitantly, taking a seat next to Barry, trying not to feel overwhelmed under their heavy gazes.
"Sophia Lang, it's a pleasure to see you again," The Martian Man-hunter spoke.
"I-I uh, thank you. I'm sorry, I've never met you before, or I haven't yet," Sophia spoke meekly. "I only recognise a few faces in this crowd. Please accept my apologies in advance," She said and Kara smiled from the head of the table.
Kara Danvers had always thought that Sophia Lang was beyond adorable, a true kindred spirit. It was devastating when she had passed, and they were all destroyed upon news of her death. Though Sophia hadn't been a meta-human on this world, she had been Barry's wife, and she was well known to all members of the League. She worked with them, mostly in the med-bay, taking care of them, like the mother hen of the group. To see her suddenly struck down by one of their most formidable enemies was traumatic, and they were all distraught. Though Kara knew that Sophia wouldn't be with them for long, she was more than glad to see her face once more.
"There is no need to apologise, Sophia," Kara spoke, and Sophia gave the blonde a smile, thankful for her reassuring words.
"Why don't we get down to business," A gruff voice spoke, coming from the man that resembled a bat. She would later find out that his name was Batman, and he admitted that she laughed a little bit at the name, but not in front of him.
"Barry and Oliver have explained the situation to us as best as they could, do you mind clarifying some of the details?" Superman spoke up.
"Yeah, uh, it began with a singularity that opened up above Central City after a battle between myself, The Flash and the Reverse-Flash. Barry was close to containing it, but we needed to expel enough energy in the middle of the wormhole to collapse it, and allow it to close in on itself. I-I uh, flew up there with Firestorm, an ally of ours, and we did just that," Sophia explained, surprised that she had been so articulate with her words, not breaking down as the memory played in her head. Seeing the look of terror and fear on Barry's face as she flew up into the singularity, giving him the smile before she exploded into energy. She blinked, noticing that she had gone silent for a moment, lost in the memory. "I-I should have died that day, but the singularity transported me here instead, I'm not sure why…or even how."
"You were always so brave," Barry muttered underneath his breath, and if it wasn't for their seats being right next to each other, she would have missed it. Her cheeks flushed a light pink at the compliment and she looked on, watching the expressions of the others carefully.
They seemed to look at her with admiration and she felt embarrassed, even though she should have felt flattered.
"It seems as though the singularity was the catalyst for sending you here, but now that it is closed, there is no way back," The Martian spoke eloquently.
"That's where Zatara comes in," Barry spoke up, his head inclined towards the man in the top hat.
"I have located a spell that will allow me to open a portal to her world, but it comes with a price. If you wish to return to your world, then you must make a sacrifice," Zatara said, his tone soft and full of sympathy.
"W-What do you mean a sacrifice?" Sophia spoke up before anyone else could. Barry was wearing a look of uncertainty as they waited for Zatara to continue.
"Once you travel through the portal and to your earth, you will no longer have your powers," Zatara said, and Sophia could feel her heart drop in her chest at the weight of his words. She opened her mouth to speak, to protest, to ask if there was any other way, but judging by the look on Zatara's face, she knew in a second flat that this was the only way. She closed her mouth, biting down uncomfortably on her tongue to keep her mouth sealed, should she let out a sob.
"That can't be the only option," Supergirl voiced, her eyes darting between Zatara and Sophia who were further down the table.
"Unfortunately so, it is," Zatara said as he spared a glance at Supergirl. "You must make the decision Sophia. If you want to go back home, then this is the price you must pay. It is not a decision to take lightly, so please, take your time. I will be awaiting your decision," Zatara spoke, his unique accent pleasant as it travelled to Sophia's ears. His words were reassuring even though they held so much pain. She didn't know what to think. She was desperate to return home, but doing so would mean that she would lose a part of herself.
She wouldn't be Sapphire anymore.
Sophia was huddled up in the now empty room they had their previous meeting in. She was sitting on the edge of the table, her gaze frozen on the view of the universe before her very eyes. Her fingers played with the necklace sitting on her chest and it only made her heart ache for home even more. She didn't want to stay here forever, she wanted to go back to her old life, to her family, to Barry. But that would come with a price. Zatara's words played over and over in her head like a broken record, making it hard for her to clear her thoughts and think about this properly.
She wasn't sure if she would be able to revert back to her old lifestyle, and be just…ordinary. She had gotten so used to the power, to helping people, to the rush of fighting by Barry's side out on the front lines that she was sure if she returned without her powers, she wouldn't feel the same. She feared that she wouldn't be the same either. Whether she liked it or not, having powers changed her for the better. It made her stronger, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. She had taken on so much as this new version of herself and she wondered if it would change her drastically without them.
But then she stopped thinking for a moment. She stopped thinking about herself, and what it would be like without her powers. She thought of her father who was waiting back home, thinking that he had lost a daughter. She was thinking about Anna, Cisco, Caitlin and Iris, how they had lost a friend. And most importantly, she was thinking about how Barry, how he had lost the love of his life. And then she realised that if she didn't do this, if she didn't make the sacrifice, she would never see them again, she would be losing all of them as well, and walking through life by their side was worth so much more to her than having her powers.
And suddenly, the decision didn't seem so hard. She got up from her seat and walked out of the room. She hovered her hand on the pad next to the door like Barry had shown her, the doors opening with a light click. She followed the lights down the hallway and took a right, walking into their main base of operations, computers and technology around a big circular table. Most of the team was there, discussing what seemed to be their next mission plan when she entered.
"I've decided," Sophia spoke, her voice stronger than she thought it would have been. She had been here for three months already, and she needed to get back home.
Barry watched her from across the table with hooded eyes. He knew in his heart that she would always find her way back to him, and so without her even saying it, he knew that she would be returning home. His heart swelled in his chest as he admired her. No matter what Earth Sophia Lang lived on, he knew that she always had a pure heart.
"And what might that be young one?" The Martian asked.
"I'm going home," She said simply. "I don't care what it takes, I'm going."
"Very well. I will have the spell prepared in two days' time." Zatara nodded.
The next forty-eight hours had passed in the blink of an eye. She had spent quite a bit of this time interacting with other members of the league, as well as Barry. She felt as though she owed it to him after all he had done for her. In two days she had memorised each member's name, and she concluded that they were all wonderful people, albeit a bit gruff and rough around the edges, but they were a family and it made her heart ache to return to her own. She had also learned that the young girl who had helped her before was indeed related to the Martian from earlier, her codename being Miss Martian, introducing herself as M'gann. She was quite a trusting young soul and Sophia knew that if she had stayed longer, they would have been fast friends. But alas, time had ticked by and Sophia found herself standing in the middle of the watchtower, with a few members of the League that were hanging around, now dressed back in her super-suit.
She admitted that she shed a tear when she was reunited with her super-suit. It was a part of her, and part of home, and it reminded her of her friends. She smiled at the thought of seeing her team mates again. She missed Barry's eyes, Cisco's laughter, Caitlin's smile, her father's warm hugs, Joe's teasing and Iris's carefree personality. But it was upon remembering them that her mind flashed to Eddie, the detective who had wormed his way into her heart. He was a great friend, and she was so happy for Iris, knowing that Eddie had a pure heart, and would take care of her. She felt a pang of sadness as she realised that she would not be seeing Eddie again, that he had died to protect them all. He was the real hero. Her thoughts then drifted to Ronnie and Professor Stein. They had gone up into the singularity with her, and she wasn't sure if either of them made it out alive, all she could do was hope that they were both safe, whether they were at home, or in a situation similar to that of her own.
Sophia walked around the room, bidding everyone goodbye, and thanking them for their help, before finally stopping in front of Barry. She gave him the biggest smile she could, feeling her heart break for him as he had to watch her leave once more. She stood on the tip of her toes placing a firm kiss on his cheek, and wrapping her arms around him in a warm hug.
"She would have been proud of you," Sophia whispered in his ear, and when she moved back she could tell that the words meant a lot to him, noting that his eyes started to tear up the slightest. "Take care of yourself, and don't forget to make sure that you're happy. She would have wanted that for you, I know that I do."
"Travel safe," Barry told her, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. She didn't even realise how much his words had impacted him, and he promised himself that he would try to move on, even after all this time. "And you don't forget to tell your Barry how damn lucky he is to have you."
"I think it's the other way around," Sophia replied with a small laugh. Her eyes met his once more, and for what would be the last time. He gave her an encouraging nod and she took a step back, moving towards the others. She gave a general murmur of thanks to the team once again, receiving polite smiles in response.
"Are you ready?" Supergirl asked, and Sophia nodded, throwing her one last smile. She took a step forward, moving into the circle of salt that Zatara had created only a few minutes ago as he prepared the spell.
"Don't forget, to keep your mind clear, and only think of one thing. Home, your destination, your earth, your family, your friends," Zatara spoke, and she nodded closing her eyes and doing exactly that.
He started chanting the spell a moment later, and she could feel the wind appear out of nowhere inside the Watchtower, swirling around her. A bright purple cloud of mist surrounded her, opening up above her head to form a small wormhole, growing in size as Zatara's chants grew louder and louder til he was finally done.
"Remember, think of home," Zatara reminded her and she looked up at the whirl pool of purple hues glowing above her head.
Think of home, think of your parents, think of your friends, think of Barry.
Her eyes glowed blue and with a final glance at those standing around her with proud and supportive smiles she focused her eyes on the portal opened above her and flew straight into it, making sure to surround her thoughts of home as she was teleported back to her Earth, trying not to think about how that would be the last time that she ever flew.
The once familiar, bright, clean and organised room was a disaster. The cortex was dusty, debris ridden and dark. That was the first thing Sophia noticed when she crashed onto the ground in the middle of the room, groaning as she tried to gather her bearings.
She stood up, her eyes running around the room that looked like it had been abandoned. She carefully took a few steps, running her fingers across the table that was covered in a thick layer of black dust. She hoped that she was in the right place. It was a right mess, and she wasn't sure if she had entered some sort of phantom zone, or if people had just gotten lazy with the upkeep around the place. She had a heavy feeling in her gut the longer she noticed the state the room had been in. It signified that her team was no longer that in itself and it worried her.
She scrunched her nose up as she wiped her hands on her suit. She retracted her cape and took of her mask, placing it in her pocket, leaving her in just the one-piece leather suit. She took another step forward, figuring that she would head to the West Household first, the place she was most likely to find someone since no one was here. It was that moment when her leg touched a red laser on the floor.
It must have set some sort of security precaution that they had recently installed, because the next thing she knew, a horrendous alarm was blaring from the speakers, loud enough to make her cringe and cover her ears with both hands. It had been a good few minutes and no one had come, nothing had happened and this alarm was giving her a headache. She moved to the computer, wiping the dust of the screen as she tapped on it, logging into her account, or at least attempting to. Her account didn't seem to exist anymore. She figured that they must have deleted it, thinking that she was dead. Just the thought made her stomach queasy, but she pushed it aside, entering Barry's details instead, knowing his log in password. She quickly override the alarm and the blasted noise came to a stop.
"Thank god," Sophia said, rubbing the side of her head. "Who the hell decided to install that?"
"Me." A voice spoke.
She froze in place, at the sound of the familiar voice, turning around slowly with wide eyes at the anticipation. She was greeted with Barry's face in front of her. He was dressed in a pair of simple jeans and a warm grey sweater. Just the sight of him took her breath away. She could feel her heart pounding away in her chest, a shiver running down her spine as they made eye contact.
"Barry," Sophia exhaled, happiness written across her face as she grinned. He seemed to be shocked to see her standing there in front of him, his mouth agape, and his eyes wide as he took her in.
When he ran into the room, expecting to find an intruder, he was greeted with the back of a person dressed in dark blue leather. He didn't know why it didn't click first, that it looked like her. But he was having a crappy day, he had barely slept the night before, and knowing that she was lost to him, his mind hadn't even thought that it would be a possibility. But as she turned around, it was like someone had set a bomb off in the room. The atmosphere was suddenly charged with electricity, and Barry didn't know what to do.
"Sophia?" He questioned the sight before his eyes, unsure if he was hallucinating. She nodded slowly, her smile growing wider as her feet moved of their own accord, closing the distance between them. Her heart was pounding in her chest, loud enough that she could hear it echoing in her ears as she ran towards him.
"It's me."
"You're alive," Barry breathed out, unable to believe it. He brought his hand up to her face, his fingers gingerly tracing her cheek. His eyes trailed over every detail, from her unruly curls, to her brown eyes, the freckles scattered on her cheeks, and finally, her soft pink lips. It was her, she was standing there right in front of him. Alive. She's alive.
"I'm alive," She laughed, small tears escaping her eyes as he dove forward, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to his chest, laughter and sobs escaping him simultaneously. She let out a giggle and he twirled her around in a circle, bringing her back down and leaning his forehead against hers. His eyes now sparkling with joy searched hers, like he was trying to reassure himself that she was there, standing in front of him.
"You're alive, how-"
"It's a long story, and I promise I'll explain, but first, kiss me," Sophia pleaded and he didn't waste a second in connecting their lips in a passionate kiss. It had been over three months without her and he swore that he was never going to let her go ever again.
"We need to go tell Cisco and Caitlin," Sophia mumbled in between kisses. "A-and Joe and Iris," she continued, her words muffled by Barry's lips. "And my father," Sophia said and Barry paused, leaning his forehead against hers his breath mingling with her own. He took in a deep breath, trying to catch it after having his lips attached to her for so long without coming up for air. The familiar scent of lavender filled his senses, and it was like a drug that he had been living without for the last three months, and suddenly he was on a high. He was surprised that his reaction had been so well. He figured that later his emotions would probably catch up with him and he would have a proper break down once he fully comprehended that his previously dead girlfriend that had sacrificed her life for the greater good of the world was now standing in front of him, in his arms when logic screamed that it wasn't possible, that it wasn't real.
"We will, I promise, but you've been gone for three months, and I just want to kiss you one more time before we go," Barry murmured against her lips, his hands firmly planted against her back as he pulled her closer to his body one more time. "Just to make sure this isn't a dream."
"That's what you said twenty minutes ago," Sophia laughed, cut off again a moment later by his lips.
"Cisco, what are you doing here?" Caitlin asked as she walked down the hall in Star Labs. She hadn't been back to the facility since that day, and she wouldn't have come this day either. But Barry had sent out an SOS and she knew that deep down, she would always be there for them when they needed help the most. So after convincing herself that she would only be there for a little while before she could escape, she had driven down to the complex, surprised to see not only Cisco, but Joe and Iris there as well.
"Barry sent out an SOS," Cisco stated simply, shrugging his shoulders. He looked over at Joe and Iris who had just arrived as well, receiving the same response when he posed the question.
"Anyone know what it might be?" Joe asked, and Iris shook her head in response.
"No idea," Cisco said, running a hand through his hair, noting that it had grown quite a bit over the last few months. He was contemplating going for a haircut soon, but he felt like the look suited him.
"Whatever it is, I just want it to be over quickly. I've got a meeting in an hour that I can't miss," Caitlin grumbled under her breath, earning a disapproving look from Cisco.
"I'm sure that your meeting can wait, Cait. It might be something serious," Cisco told her. Barry hadn't asked a lot from them over the last few months, in fact, he had been isolating himself from everyone pretty well. It was a surprise to hear from him in the first place.
"Sorry, I've just been-"
"Stressed, I know," Cisco said, giving her a half smile.
Cisco walked in front of the others, strolling into the cortex, finding that he missed the place. He hadn't been there in quite a while. Not that he had stopped aiding Barry in helping out the city, he continued to do that but either from his house, or his little workspace at the CCPD.
So he continued to stroll casually into the cortex, not expecting anything out of the ordinary, and that's when it hit him like a train. He felt all the colour drain from his face as he saw who was standing there by Barry's side.
"Someone call the Ghostbusters." Cisco wasn't sure why it was those words that came out of his mouth before he momentarily fainted, but he was slightly proud of them when he woke up and Sophia told him. He just knew that he would never live it down.
Ever.
Sophia was standing there nervously, now dressed in a spare pair of clothes that she had left at Star Labs for emergencies. The clothes hadn't been touched in months, but they sat protected from the dust and dirt in a drawer in her own little workspace. She knew that one day it would come in handy, and today was that day.
It was a simple pair of grey trainers, a black long sleeve button up plaid shirt, with a white tee underneath that was tucked into a comfortable pair of dark washed jeans. Just being out of her suit made her feel more comfortable, and it would get her mind off the fact that she no longer had her powers. When she had a chance to break away from Barry's arms, and his lips, she had gone to change out of her suit. Finally finding a moment alone, she had tried to summon energy from her fingertips and nothing worked. She had tried to jump up into flight, even a basic float, but nothing was there. She could tell in an instant, there was no energy, no electric charge running through her. She wasn't a meta-human anymore. She held in a gasp as she quickly changed, compartmentalising her feelings, saving them for later. She didn't want to tell anyone about it just yet. She had just come back, and she didn't want to throw that on them as well, and the added fact that she wanted some privacy to mourn her loss before voicing it to them all. She knew that Barry had messaged pretty much everyone, telling them to come to Star Labs. He didn't want to drop the news on them via a text message or a phone call, so he had decided to call them over, figuring the sight of Sophia there would just do the trick. Sophia had then told Barry that once this was done, they would both go and see her father. She couldn't imagine how her dad must have been feeling, his only daughter dead, leaving him as the sole member of the Lang family. At least their immediate family anyway.
Her thoughts were cut off when she heard footsteps approaching. She tightened her grip in Barry's hand as she watched the door, waiting for them to walk in.
Cisco strolled into the room, whistling as he did so, and a moment later upon seeing her, uttered the last thing she would have expected, even if it was Cisco they were talking about before them promptly fainting on the spot, his body sliding down to the ground ungracefully.
She let out a small gasp before running over with Barry to roll him over on his side and make sure he was alright. A moment later he woke up, blinking furiously as he cleared his vision. His face was slightly pale and Sophia called out his name, trying to gather his attention. Whilst she was busy tending to Cisco, the other three people had walked into the room.
"Sophia," Caitlin breathed out, a ghost of a smile on her lips as Joe and Iris just watched on with wide eyes. Once they had settled Cisco on a chair, giving him a bit of water to drink and checking that he was alright, the chaos decided to present itself in the room.
"How are you alive?" Cisco asked, looking at Sophia, poking the side of her shoulder with his finger as though he was trying to see if she were real. "You know what I don't care, I'm just so glad that you're not dead," Cisco let out a strangled laugh before bouncing out of his chair and capturing her in a tight hug, letting out a few tears as he did so. He had missed her so much and he was so damn grateful to have her back. The others seemed to then snap out of their dazes and then joined in the group hug and it was a mess of laughter and tears as they clung onto each other, all of them whispering silent apologies and murmurs of thanks.
"We thought you died," Iris whispered and Sophia gave her a quick hug reassuring her that she was here before breaking apart, looking at all of their expectant faces.
"An explanation would be great right about now."
"I think you all might want to take a seat for this," Sophia said, her eyes darting to Barry. He nodded and they all moved, everyone taking a seat as she stood in the middle of the room, ready to speak.
"Well, I think we all know what happened that day," Sophia started off with an awkward smile. She felt guilty for her actions, but she knew that it was the only option at the time to stop the wormhole before it tore the city apart piece by piece before moving onto the rest of the planet. "I had never expelled that much energy before, I honestly don't remember much after it at all, just this feeling of lightness." Sophia's expression turned solemn as she watched their careful gazes, urging her to continue.
"How did you survive? The wormhole collapsed in on itself after the explosion," Caitlin asked quickly, knowing that the others wanted to know the answer as well.
"The wormhole created by the singularity transported me to another Earth, a parallel universe of this Earth," Sophia explained. "I know it sounds insane, but it allowed Barry to travel to the past, and this same wormhole acted as a portal, dragging me to an Earth that was slightly different to this one. I can't say much about it, and I promised him that I wouldn't," Sophia said, mumbling the last bit to herself.
"Who?" Barry asked.
"You." Sophia's brows furrowed. "I mean, the other you, the older you." She shook her head.
"Older?" Joe inquired with a light laugh.
"Yeah, it was over a decade into the future on that parallel universe," Sophia said.
"Did you meet our doppelgangers there?" Cisco asked, bouncing in his seat at the excitement. He was so damn happy that his best friend was in fact alive, and now hearing that she had met other versions of themselves was just the icing on top.
"Only Barry. I was in a coma for the three months I was there. I actually only regained consciousness a few days ago, and that's when one of the members of their team used his powers to help me get back here."
"How did you know it was going to work?" Iris asked, and her question hit home more than Sophia would have liked, as it reminded her of the price she had to pay to be here. But watching the pure relief and joy on their faces, she buried it deep down, knowing it wasn't the right time yet.
"I-I didn't. But I knew I had to try," Sophia said, her voice slightly wobbly. "Plus, there was a lot of motivation to get back," Sophia said and she didn't even have to look at Barry to know that a light blush was dusted across his cheeks.
"I know what happened to you was once in a million, but by any chance did R-Ronnie happen to…" Caitlin's question was left to interpretation and Sophia's face dropped as she looked down, her head moving from side to side with a heavy heart, not wanting to see Caitlin's look of hope drop into one of desperation and depression. It was clear to Sophia then that Ronnie too hadn't survived the explosion.
"I'm sorry."
"D-Don't be, it's fine," Caitlin breathed out. "I just- I needed to know, so that I can move on," Caitlin told her, giving her a reassuring smile.
"There's not much else I can tell you, other than I'm so damn grateful to be back," Sophia breathed out a few tears escaping her eyes. She bit down on her lip, but a sob escaped regardless of her efforts to remain composed and in a flash Barry had his arms around her in a hug, before the others all jumped up out of their respective spots as well, wrapping her into a large group hug as they all welcomed her back. She buried her head into Barry's warm chest and took deep breaths, reminding herself that she was alright. That she was finally home.
And there you have it folks, part 2.
IMPORTANT QUESTION: Do you prefer shorter chapters or longer ones? (Short would be 5-7k, long would be 10-14k).
Can't believe the reaction to the first chapter. Nearly 80 follows already, you guys are making me blush. Thank you to all those who added this to your favourite/follow and to all the reviewers.
Glad you're all loving the fact that I threw her into what I deem E-3 instead of E-2. It's much more exciting and unique this way. I would have kept her there longer, but Sophia has a life to live, and we can't keep her away from her family. It's already been 3 months, and there's so much of S2 we need to jump into!
The drama ensures in the next chapter, which should be posted in 2 weeks! To tide you over, go check out the AU series NEW ROMANTICS which has short one-shots that will get you squirming with all the fluff.
Keep the reviews up! Love you all!
Replies:
Gilyflower: Thanks for being the first reviewer of the sequel! I was so excited to see your review, thank you for your kind words.
Noblecrescent: Yeah, I wanted to do something different, and as you can tell from this chapter, she didn't stay there long because we had to get the story moving, but it was a nice pit stop and change of pace.
Mr. Uroboros: Thank you! Glad you liked the change of pace.
Purplemonkey36: I feel so bad for him as well, but tbh I love writing the angst.
MrsxBarryxAllen: Thank you! I hope you guys enjoy what I bring. I'm finding it mighty hard to write a sequel up to the standards of the first.
Panda-Chan 8: Thank you so much! Yeah, it's insane, but I'll be trying my best to get stuff out to you guys. Your supportive words mean so much and it's definitely made me relax a bit more. Thanks! Hope your day is well. X
Turtlekier42: Happy to see you here at the sequel! Thanks for the review.
AmyRoxx123: I missed you too! So glad to hear from you again! I took inspiration from the JLU / Young Justice cartoon series for the portrayal of the characters in E-3 where Sophia was stuck. That's where the blond idea came from. I threw Miss Martian in there, but I think in this series it'd probably be too early to have Bart appear, he's sort of the generation after the next, and I didn't want to make them too old, besides we don't focus too much on E-3 considering she's left, and we might later on a bit more, but for now, it's bye bye. Thank you so much for the review.
xXAlyaIsMyBaeXx: Yeah, I was going to take longer, but I have to admit there was a guest that posted and asked when it was coming out and since I had the first few chapters out I was aching to post it as well, but we'll be taking it slow this time round with a new chapter every 2 weeks rather than weekly. But thanks so much for the review, glad you enjoyed the first chapter.
Guest: Thanks for leaving the words of kindness and encouragement!
RHatch89: Thanks, happy to see you at the sequel!
AndySteve1311: Thank you for the long review, it made my day! I definitely gave them a lot of pain this time. Yeah, I really wanted to bring out all that angst, especially since they all died in that last chapter. It certainly was, I mean she collapsed out of pure shock twice!
Vanessa Rowes: *DOUBLY OBNOXIOUS SQUEE* That is the sweetest thing, and this was such a lovely review, my heart. You're adorable. So happy you're enjoying it so far!
Heroherondale. x
