"I know why the timeline is changing." Nora said quietly once they were upstairs in the med bay. She sounded sad but resigned, like she knew this had been coming for a while.
"You do?" Caitlin asked distractedly, busy recording the other woman's vitals. Nora reached out and grabbed the doctors hands, stilling them and forcing her to look her in the eye.
"You love my dad, don't you?" Her dark brown eyes searched frosty blue eyes, face earnest.
Unable to say anything Caitlin nodded, heart hammering fast. Grimly she clamped down on her powers, forcing them back. She didn't want to hurt Nora in any way. She was innocent in this mess called life.
"I see it every time you look at him." Nora continued, small smile on her face. "Even in the Flash Museum, some of the old images had you looking at dad differently than you looked at anyone else. In a few of them, my dad is looking at you the same way."
The young woman tilted her head and sighed, dreamy look on her face.
"Coming back in time helped me realize that what I saw in those images were real. There are genuine feelings shared between the two of you. I also know that dad is beginning to realize it too and that's why I'm fading."
"You have to know Nora, I would never do anything to hurt you." Caitlin felt tears running down her face. She was the cause of the woman before her fading away. A young woman she had come to love like a niece. It hurt her heart to know that her actions can and will erase a person from the timeline.
"I know that Aunt Cait, and I don't blame you. You love my dad and I have a feeling he loves you too. How can I blame you if you make him happy?" Nora sniffed and pulled the doctor into a hug. "I think it will be better this way. If dad is with you, then he won't disappear in the future."
"But you won't exist." Caitlin started, but the other woman interrupted.
"Not this version of me. You'll meet me again, but the situation will be a little different." Nora smiled and shifted to lay down on the bed with a sigh.
"Are you ok?"
"I'm fine Aunt Caitlin. Just waiting to say goodbye to the others." Nora looked at her and squeezed her hand. "Don't blame yourself for loving dad; he's pretty irresistible."
Caitlin laughed at that, glad that Nora, even though being erased, still has her innocence and happiness. Lightning crackled and Barry arrived in the room with flair, Cisco's portal opening moments later with the others stepping though. Everyone gathered around Nora's bed, all of them concerned. Barry took one of Nora's hands while Iris took the other.
"How are you feeling?" Iris asked gently.
"I'm ok mom, really."
"Are you sure?" Barry asked earnestly before looking up at Caitlin, fear in his eyes. "Is she going to be ok?"
"Right now she's fine. The temporal fluctuations have seemed to level off for the moment, but I can't guarantee anything." Caitlin replied, shaking her head.
"Do we know what's causing this?" Iris asked again, apparently expecting a better answer than just a few minutes ago.
"No. It could be any number of things, or it could be nothing. Just like Cisco explained before, no matter what it is, there really isn't anything we can do."
For a while after that the little family sat talking while Caitlin faded into the background, keeping an eye on her patient while trying not to eavesdrop. It was true, there wasn't much that anyone could do. All this was on Barry what he decides to do, but even then, if he did choose Iris, there was no guarantee that Nora wouldn't still be erased. Late in the evening Nora drifted off to sleep, and with quiet goodbyes Barry and Iris left. Caitlin settled in for the night, munching on the food Cisco had brought her earlier.
The next morning Barry arrived early, the sound of his lightning waking Caitlin. Quickly she checked on Nora, and was glad to see that she was still there. The sound of the door to the room they were in shutting made the doctor look up in surprise. Barry stood in front of the closed door, hands in his pockets, shoulders slumped. Silently he walked forward and took the chair on the other side of Nora, sad look on his face.
"Barry?" Caitlin asked softly.
"I can't do it anymore Cait." Barry ran his hand through his hair, voice troubled. "I can't live this lie anymore."
"I don't understand." she shook her head sadly. "If you choose anyone different than Iris, Nora dies."
"Does she really?" Barry wondered. "She's not even supposed to exist in this timeline, and by being here she changed the timeline she is from. Basically she's stuck in limbo Cait, and this is the only way I can see of how to set things right."
"I'm still not sure -"
"I love you Caitlin Snow. Not Iris, you." Barry blurted out and Caitlin couldn't believe her ears.
"Told you Aunt Caitlin." Nora mumbled, waking up. She smiled at her dad as he squeezed her hand. "I knew that you would end up together."
"But what about you Nora?"
"I'll be fine dad." Nora rolled her eyes. "I'll be going into the Speed Force. I'll always be there."
"What do you want us to tell the others?" Caitlin asked, tear running down her cheek.
"Tell them the timeline caught up with me and I've been absorbed into the Speed Force. It's as close to the whole truth you can get without hurting mom." Nora spoke even as her feet and legs began to disappear.
"We will." Barry was crying quietly now, reaching out to stroke his daughters hair. "I also want you to know that we love you very much, your mother included. You've been a bright spot during a dark time."
"I love you too dad." Caitlin watched, heart sad as Nora disappeared without a trace. Unable to control herself Caitlin broke down, crying hard. Barry stood, coming around the now empty bed to pull her up into a hug. They stood that way for a long time until they heard voices in the hallway outside.
Breaking apart Barry went to open the door, Caitlin moving to turn of the equipment that they were using to monitor Nora. She heard the others reactions to Nora being gone, but refused to turn around, afraid that they would see her heart in her cold eyes. Iris made a big show about having lost her daughter, but Caitlin could see right through the tears. There was no real emotion there, just acting.
"What happened?" Ralph asked in his usual tactless manner.
"The timeline caught up to her and Nora was absorbed into the Speed Force." Barry replied letting Iris go. The other woman still clung to him, crocodile tears glimmering in her eyes.