.:42:.

A Solution

"And you really think they're going to show up? Captain Cold and Heat Wave?"

Barry reached up and pulled his hood off his head before turning to Cadence, who stood by his side, staring out at the empty woods in front of them. She turned to look at him and he turned his gaze to the ground. It was a risky plan but he was sure it was going to work. They were the only ones would could round up the metahumans that had gone off into Central City. He could've done it but they had moved too far too fast while he had to take down Harrison—or Eobard. He didn't have the time to go after them now not when there were so many questions that needed to be answered. Not when the angry fire inside him needed to be doused.

When he first brought up the idea to Cadence she hadn't questioned him, only stated she needed a few hours to find them. And she had been right. It took only a few hours until she tracked them down and he got a message to them to meet up later, to talk.

Now he wondered if it truly was a good idea. They were risking a lot being away from STAR Labs. But then again he had Caitlin and Cisco watching their every move just in case.

"They have to," Barry replied. He ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know what I'd do if they don't."

"You mean other than avoiding STAR Labs because you know Iris is there?"

Barry ignored Cadence's question. There was truth in it. As soon as he was healed he went right out to find the Rogues rather than face everyone else. He couldn't deal with it at the moment. He couldn't deal with knowing that Iris knew about his secret, couldn't' deal with having Harrison—Eobard—down in the pipeline, couldn't deal with knowing the man that had killed his mother was finally in their grasp and he had no way to go about it.

"There's just so much to deal with right now," Barry muttered in response. He continued to pace back and forth. The two waited for another five minutes and Barry ran his hands through his hair once more. "C'mon, they're not coming." He turned to leave then stopped when the distant sound of an engine revving caught his attention. He whipped around, eyes searching the clearing before him then turned to Cadence. She continued to stand still, staring out in front of her; this time, however, her eyes took on an orange glow. "Can you see anything?"

"Heat sources coming this way," she explained, pointing directly in front of her. Then she blinked and her eyes returned to their normal color. "They're on a motorcycle and coming fast."

"Cool."

It took another few minutes before the motorcycle—actually two—came into sight. Barry clenched his jaw as they stopped and the figures got off the back. His eyes shifted from Snart to Mick to Lisa, causing him to frown deeply. Lisa seemed to have noticed for she smirked and gently tightened her grip on the trigger of her golden gun.

"What? You didn't think I'd let my dear older brother leave me out in the cold did you?" She asked.

Snart briefly closed his eyes. "Yes, she can make puns as badly as I can," he commented in his slow drawl. "Did you get everything I asked for?" He asked, turning his attention to Barry. Barry stuck out his foot and kicked at the boxes that sat on the ground in front of him. "And you're sure that's everything?"

"All of your files on the CCPD database have been destroyed, and this is everything tangible," Barry explained through gritted teeth. He looked over as Mick walked over to Cadence and lifted a strand of her hair in his palm. He brought it up to his nose and sniffed loudly causing Cadence to set her hand ablaze.

The sudden onslaught of flame caused Mick to drop her hair from his hand and take a few steps back. But a manic smile was on his face as he watched the flame. She then clenched her hand into a fist and the flames extinguished, causing Mick's smile to fade into a pout. But he still stood by Cadence's side.

Snart, who watched the two with a raised eyebrow, turned back to Barry. "It's good to know that you're good for many things other than saving the city on a daily basis. You know how to keep a promise." He then tilted his head to his sister. "Lisa."

"It'll be my pleasure big brother," Lisa replied. She lifted her golden gun and aimed at the boxes.

Barry watched squinting his eyes against the harsh light, as Lisa melted the boxes with her golden gun. Now all traces of Lisa's, Snart's, and Mick's criminal history were gone. Fingerprints, dental records…as if the three of them had never existed. It was a hard deal to come up with but Barry was desperate to keep the city as safe as possible. And with Mark Mardon and some of the other metas gone missing…there was a lot of say of how safe the city could actually be. Especially when they couldn't put a lot of time into it.

"Now that we have that all figured out, let's make sure we're all agreed on some things," Snart said. "Just like our last agreement, you don't come after us. We're allowed to do what we want to do. But now with this…it'll be even harder. I'm to believe there are no more records hidden anywhere."

"We've held up our end of the deal," Cadence remarked. She crossed her arms, eyeing Mick warily. "Now you have to hold up yours."

"Don't worry, we don't like to burn our bridges," Mick growled.

Lisa rolled her eyes.

Snart ignored him.

"What will you do once you find the other metas? Barry asked. "Their lives are in as much danger as the rest of ours are."

Snart held up his hand that held his cold gun, as if he was holding his hand up like a stop sign. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, we got your entire spiel already. Leave it to the pros and things will go okay." Barry started to turn away but Snart's voice captured his attention once more. "And Flash…I hope one day you figure out who you can and can't trust sooner."

Barry clenched his jaw as Snart smirked at him. Lisa's matching smirk—which seemed to have be something that was passed down in their family—irritated Barry to his core. All because he knew they were right. He had trusted Harrison and now he knew he was the last person to trust. Now he was trusting Snart and Mick with everything else.

He hoped it wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass like everything else had.

Barry steeled himself as he and Cadence went back to STAR Labs. He barely made it into the cortex before he was stopped by Iris. He glanced at Cadence, who gave him a meaningful glance as she walked by to go into the cortex. He ran his hands over his face.

"Hey Barry," She greeted him. "Or should I say the Flash?"

"Iris, I know you're upset," Barry started.

"I'm past upset, Barry. I feel like a fool! I can't believe it took me so long to find out."

"How did you find out?"

Iris gave him an offended look. "I'm not stupid, Barry. Things just started to add up. You were constantly disappearing with weird excuses. You conveniently seemed to be missing whenever something went on that the Flash could handle. You couldn't explain how you met Caitlin and Cisco…that was the common link that made sense to me. What would STAR Labs be doing helping out the CCPD."

"There've been a lot of metahuman cases," Barry defended himself.

"That the regular police couldn't handle?" Iris asked. Barry started to protest and but she held up her hand. "I get it now, these guys are really dangerous. But it was just so convenient. Then there was the way you defended Flash Fire, I mean, Flare,"—she gave him a pointed look—" she badly. Almost like you were becoming personally offended about what was going on with her."

Barry licked his lips. "She's my friend, Iris. And Caitlin and Cisco…I couldn't say anything."

"It was all of that and Lois encouraging me to keep doing what I wanted to do, to show I could be an investigative reporter that had me tie everything together. Ultimately, when I watched you guys fight that gorilla is when I knew. I guess I knew subconsciously for a long time but couldn't believe that you would ever lie to me like that."

Iris's eyes flashed and Barry could see how truly hurt she was. This was what he wanted to avoid the entire time. He couldn't stand to see the look on her face, the absolutely devastated look. It haunted his dreams for as long as he didn't say anything. But as time went on it appeared he wouldn't have had to worry so much. Now he knew how wrong he was. "Iris…I can imagine how angry you are"

"I'm not angry. I'm disappointed." Her eyebrows rose and a light laugh escaped from her lips. No, not light. A sarcastic laugh. A hurt laugh. "Especially because Eddie and my dad both know. And now Dr. Wells is the man in yellow…?"

That had been the part that hurt him the most, too. "Everything he's done to help me has been a lie. He killed my mom," he said.

"Is he going to kill the rest of us?"

"No! No, we have him in our custody now. Dow in the pipeline, he's not going to hurt anyone else," Barry insisted. "I promise you he's not going to hurt anyone else." He sniffed, feeling frustrated tears coming to his eyes. "You have to believe there are so many times I wanted to tell you. You were the first person I wanted to tell. Joe told me not to. He was trying to protect you. We all were."

"And maybe it's time you both stopped," Iris snapped. "Because I can take care of myself. I've always been able to take care of myself. Did you ever stop to think that looping me in could have helped? Maybe that I could help you guys put them away instead of me getting in the way all the time! Do you know how much it hurt to think you were pushing me away for other people? For someone else?"

"You think I don't know that?!" Barry shouted back at her. His chest started to heave up and down with the effort of his shouting.

"And all of the times that you've put Eddie and my Dad in danger! He's just a regular cop, Barry. He's not a metahuman with super powers. He's not you."

"You're right. He's not me. None of this is any of their faults. It's all mine. Maybe Joe told me not to tell you that I was the Flash. But I didn't have to listen to him. I could've told you one hundred times. And I didn't. Yes, I should've. You're right to be mad."

"Then explain to me how the person I thought I knew better than anyone was keeping secrets from me." Now Iris's eyes filled with tears as well but she didn't dare let them fall. "Big, life-changing secrets. You were supposed to be my best friend Barry."

"I am your best friend."

"How can you say that when you kept the most important things in your life from me? You lied to me about everything!"

"I know that! But for a second if you could just stop and think about what I went through. I was in a coma for nine months, Iris. Nine months! Everything moved on around me while I was lying there in STAR Labs. No one knew if I was going to make it out of there." Barry took a deep breath. Iris stayed silent, allowing him to continue. "And when I woke up I wasn't surrounded by you or Joe. I was surrounded by Caitlin and Cisco and Dr. Wells. They took care of me while I was down there and they were the ones who realized something was different when I had woken up from my coma and had my powers. I was the one that saved you from the crashing car the day that Clyde Mardon stole from the bank. I had no idea of my powers then and I still don't really know them now.

"How was I supposed to tell you what was going on when you were so busy having moved on to someone else?" Barry's breath caught in his throat. He had never mentioned, never gave an inkling of the feelings he had for Iris for a long time. Loving feelings. Feelings of not wanting anything to happen to her. He loved her as a person, loved her as a best friend; he didn't love her that way anymore. It was too hard. She just didn't understand. "How were you supposed to understand that I wasn't the regular Barry that I used to be anymore? I could do so much more than anyone else and despite Joe and Dr. Wells and Cisco and Caitlin knowing what I could do…I still felt alone. No one else got it. So when I met Cadence and saw she knew what it was like to be a metahuman it made it that much easier to not say anything. I felt so…fucking guilty about it but it made it easier."

Barry licked his lips once more. "So yes, Iris, I made a bad decision of not telling you what was going on. But you weren't the only one who was a victim from this as well."

He turned on his heel and walked out of the hallway, leaving Iris behind.

Iris let out a low breath, moving her hair back from her face. She turned towards the sound of footsteps coming her way and lowered her hands when Caitlin and Cadence rounded the corner. The bio-engineer had a small, disarming smile on her face, showing she had heard at least part of the conversation. Iris wouldn't have been surprised if Cadence had gotten Caitlin's attention once she had left the two to talk.

Iris smiled back.

Caitlin reached Iris and opened her arms, giving Iris a hug before stepping aside so Cadence could do the same. Iris, grateful for the hugs, held onto the girls for a long moment. "For what it's worth, Barry feels really terrible about lying to you," Caitlin said to her.

"Especially once Detective West and Eddie started to get closer to things," Cadence added.

Iris smiled and nodded.

...

..

Barry's face was one of stern fury as he walked over to Harrison's pod in the pipeline. Harrison looked back at him with an even more stoic expression. That fueled Barry's fire more than anything else. Harrison raised an eyebrow as the speedster stepped towards him.

"What? No Big Belly Burger?" Harrison taunted as he watched Barry. "I think that's the best perk that any metahuman could have while they're in here. I mean, you have to find a way to keep us sane, right? Who knows what'll happen if your captors are released, right?" Barry stared back at him.

"I guess that's not what you wanted to hear. You have some questions. I'm sorry, what is it?"

"I'm not sure where to start," Barry said honestly. "Thawne. I mean that's your name right, Eobard Thawne?"

"Since the day I was born," Harrison replied.

"And when exactly was that?"

"136 years from now, but that's not what you want to know." Harrison paused in his pacing and turned to Barry with a half smile. "So go ahead and ask me, Barry, what do you have to lose?"

Barry stared at him. He wanted to ask so badly. Wanted to know why it was that his mother had been targeted. Why Eobard hadn't had just turned back to his hometown…home life...home city…? Once he saw he couldn't take Barry down? Still the moment was there to ask and he couldn't find it in himself to do it.

"Cat got your tongue, eh? Well I guess I'll answer another question you've probably wondered for a while." Harrison stretched his arms up over his head and rested his laced hands on his neck. "The Black Flash. I bet you're wondering why it's targeting you so badly and what it is that it wanted with you and who it was. You see the point of secret identities is to keep it a secret."

"So you don't know either?" Barry asked.

Harrison slowly grinned. "No, I know. As a matter of fact it's quite obvious. You've probably looked at people around you, wondering who it is. Eddie…maybe even Ryder…that must've been hard to deal with. Looking at those two guys and wondering whose boyfriend or ex was going to screw up your life even further. Rest assured neither of them are the Black Flash because in many ways, the Black Flash doesn't exist."

Doesn't exist what does that mean? The words died on Barry's lips. He stared hard at Harrison, studying him. He's telling the truth. He's not showing anything in his face to say he'd be lying…"He doesn't exist." Barry phrased it as a question to keep from showing his confusion.

"The Black Flash is a personification of death, for speedsters specifically. Once he Black Flash captures you and kills you, you return to the speed force."

"So what is it doing here?" Barry asked.

Harrison shrugged. "It may have been following you, it may have been following me. Tell me, Barry, how many times now have you seen the Black Flash? How many times have you come close to death?"

How many times…? Barry's eyes shifted to the floor. It had been many times. Most of the time when he would use his speed to the point of near exhaustion. He hadn't seen the Black Flash around lately maybe he wasn't as close to death as he had been before. Or maybe it gave up?

"It comes and goes as it pleases, who knows when it'll return." Resting up against the glass on his pod Harrison's eyes bore into Barry's. "Now…ask me what you want to know. Ask me the question, Mr. Allen!"

"Why did you kill my Mom?"

The words came flying out of his mouth as soon as Barry opened his lips once more. All of the pain and suffering he felt over the past fifteen years spilled out with that question. As he glared at Harrison the man looked back at him with his cold blue eyes.

"Because I hate you. Not you now. You years from now. You see, we're enemies, opposites, reverses, whatever vernacular you want to use it doesn't diminish the fact that I hate you." Barry's lips parted but Harrison beat him to the punch, "it doesn't matter why. Not anymore. What matters is that none of us are strong enough to defeat the other, until I learned your name Barry Allen. Then finally I knew how to defeat you once and for all; travel back in time to kill you as a child, wipe you from the face of the Earth. But then future you followed me back and we fought and you saved yourself. I was mad. But then I thought what if you were to suffer a tragedy? What if you were to suffer something so horrible and traumatic that your child self could never recover? So I killed your mother."

Barry's body started to shake with fury with each word that came from Harrison's mouth.

"Finally, I was able to return to a time without the flash. Only to realize that I lost my ability to harness the speed force and I was stuck here. I couldn't go back. The only way back was with the Flash. But the Flash was gone so I created him."

"Then why train me? Why help me?" Barry growled through gritted teeth.

"I needed you to get fast enough to rupture the space-time barrier, to make a wormhole so that I was finally able to make it home."

"And why would I help you do that?"

"Because if you give me what I want…I'm going to give you what you want. You can go back and save your mother. You can prevent your father from going to prison; you can reunite the Allen family."

Barry shook his head. His heart leapt with hope but he had to push it down. There was a big part of him that became so emotional at the thought he could make it back. But at what cost? It was like Snart said; he had to learn how to trust people. I don't trust him, Barry thought. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. I'm not making that mistake again. Barry clenched his hand into a fist. "No. No, I don't believe you."

"Smart boy." Harrison smirked.

"I want to kill you right now," Barr whispered.

"I want to kill you, too. And yet, I know how Henry and Joe feel when they look on you with pride…with love."

All of the emotion within Barry burst forward with enraged passion. He slammed his fist against the glass pane of Harrison's pod. His hand stung, the glass stayed in place despite the speed and strength Barry exhibited upon the barrier. "DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT TO ME!"

"I know you're upset; but I'm giving you a chance to undo all of the evil I've done." Harrison tilted his head to the side. "Don't you want that chance?"

Barry closed his eyes, turning away from Harrison. He ran a hand over his face. There was so much to think about. Going back in time to be able to let Harrison return to his time…and being able to save his mother. Was saving his mother worth letting the man that had ruined his life go? Was it worth sacrificing everything they've done over the past year and a half?

"Barry…" Barry twisted around as Joe walked his way. "Everything okay, you've been down here for a while."

Harrison snorted. "Am I to assume that you all really didn't listen to what we had to say? Not that it would matter much, there are cameras around his place, everyone is always watching. I believe you have an even bigger issue with me than anyone else." He watched as Joe crossed his arms. "Wow, arms crossed. I must really be in trouble now."

"So you're saying that Barry could go back in time again?" Joe questioned. "To save Nora and to get you out of here. Out of all of our lives."

"Hypothetically," Barry reminded him.

Harrison bobbed his head back and forth. "Look, if Barry fails and I'm stuck here forever…" Harrison sucked in a sharp breath. Barry smiled a little, noticing the worried expression that quickly flashed across his face.

He's just as nervous as the rest of us are, Barry realized.

"Well, neither of us wants that. Trust me," Harrison continued.

Joe gave a wheezing laugh. "Because you're so trustworthy. Slinging that crap about your poor dead wife." His smile faded and a calm stern expression came to his face. He took a step towards Barry, gently moving in front of him so that he wasn't directly in Harrison's line of sight.

"You know, funny thing," Harrison said. He held up a finger, gently shaking it back and forth. Then he looked a little confused. "When you steal somebody's body, you also steal their thoughts, memories…steal their love. I found that I took over the love Harrison had for his family, for his daughter and grandson." He shook his head, chuckling.

Barry pressed his lips together.

"And there were days when I would get teary-eyed over Tess. A woman I had never met, mind you."

"Because you killed her."

"I thought I did. Imagine my surprise when she popped up in Central City again."

"But there are people you care about in the future," Joe remarked. "I don't think you'd be this eager, go as far as you have to get back to your time unless there are people there that you hold dear. As dear as I hold Barry and iris."

Harrison's smile faded. His façade was up once more. "I do."

"People who will be crying when you're gone. Because if anything happens to Barry no matter where or when you are, I'll hunt you down. I'll find you, and I will kill you." Harrison smiled. Joe's eyes narrowed at him. "You doubt it?"

"No."

Even Barry didn't doubt it. He had never heard Joe speak so frankly before, so darkly. It was then he realized how much Joe really meant to him, how much Iris meant to him. The life that he currently had.

A horrifying thought struck him.

If he went back in time to save his mother…how much of his life would still be the same?

...

..

Cadence walked over to Oliver as he pulled his hood back up over his face. "Leaving so soon?" She asked.

"I have a lot that needs to be dealt with back in Starling City," he replied gruffly.

"With the League?" She asked.

"Something like that." Oliver cleared his throat and looked around STAR Labs. His eyes rested on Superman for a long moment and he shook his head. "That guy…I swear I've seen him somewhere before, I just can't figure out where."

"The Queens know a lot of people, 'Liver. I don't think it'd be so easy to remember each and every one." Cadence smiled a little. She reached out and grasped his shoulder. "Whatever it is that's going on with the League…if there's anyone that can stop them it's you. And you know Barry and I will be over there in a heartbeat if you ever need some help."

"I may need to take you on that offer sooner than you think," Oliver remarked. He nodded to her and left the Cortex.

Cadence turned around to find Tess slowly coming her way. Cadence then looked over at Brady, who was sitting at one of the computers, quietly looking down at his slingshot and pellets that rested in his hand. He seemed not to have put two and two together as to who Tess was in relation to him. But as Cadence studied Tess's face she could see parts of her in her clearly; her eyes, her smile…

"I'm not sure you know who I am," Tess started.

"I know exactly who you are," Cadence replied. She winced. It came out a bit ruder than she had wanted.

Tess smiled, tilting her head to the side. "Don't worry, I understand your reservations. This must be really hard for you to come to terms with. Believe me when I say it's hard for me, too," she remarked. "The last thing I knew my daughter was a young thing, just going to school and having fun on her gymnastics, swimming, soccer, and cheerleading teams and the next thing I know I'm waking up in a hospital in Coast City."

"Coast City?" Cadence repeated.

"That was the best rehabilitation center they could take me to after our accident," Tess explained. "Why? Have you heard of it?"

"No, but Brady and I have been there a few times…" Cadence trailed off. There could've been a time where they walked by Tess and didn't even know it was her. Or maybe she would've. Just by looking at her there was an obvious connection. "Just for vacations and stuff."

"Those must be pretty expensive vacations."

"Not when you can teleport."

Tess smiled once more. She took a breath and looked around the cortex. "All of that's been going on is so crazy. I always knew Harrison was destined for big things but this is bigger than I had ever imagined. But to know all of his hard work has been taken over by someone so hell bent on revenge like this…it's not what Harrison would've wanted."

Cadence stayed silent. She wasn't sure what to say in response to anything right now. How much of what she and Harrison had been through over the past year, over her life had really been Harrison and what part of it had been Eobard who was just lying to her. The last thing she wanted to know was absolutely everything in her life was a lie.

Well, not everything, Cadence thought, looking over at Tess once more. She was back in the picture and she did say she thought a lot about her. But how much of that was true now that she knew she had a grandson. She didn't seem to be bothered by it and Cadence didn't get a feeling of being shamed from her.

"Your son is beautiful," Tess added. "I bet he's a real sweetheart."

"He is for the most part," Cadence remarked. "He can be a little sensitive, too. And a pain in the ass, though I doubt I was that easy to deal with when I was a kid."

Tess smiled then nodded to Ryder. "That boy…he's the father?"

"Yes."

Tess started to say something else but was cut off by Barry and Joe as they walked into the Cortex. Barry then explained to everyone what Harrison/Eobard had told him. Professor Stein, who had split apart from Ronnie once returning to the Cortex, was the first one to react.

"You have the ability to go back in time, to right a wrong, and save your mother," he said, gesturing wildly with his hands. "That's quite the paradox that Harrison has presented you with."

"Not to mention the ramifications of what would happen if you went back but didn't save her," Cadence pointed out. She rested her hand on her hip. "Harrison, er, Eobard, would still get away. What would you do then?"

"Which is precisely why Harrison gave that ultimatum in the first place," Tess remarked. "He probably thinks Barry would go right out and do it with little to no regard to Eobard getting away."

"But this is a chance to go back and save the one you love," Caitlin said. She glanced meaningfully at Ronnie and looped her arm through his, gently grasping his hand. "That seems pretty cut and dry to me."

"Yeah, you'd have everything you'd ever worked for back, Barry." Iris nodded.

"At first blush it appears to be the best option Dr. Snow, it would appear so, but this gift has unparalleled risk," Professor Stein pointed out.

"He's right," Cisco agreed. "It's like when you traveled back in time before. We're not living in an alternate or parallel universe from that time that I…died." He swallowed hard. "But think of what happens if you could go back to save your Mom. That would erase fifteen years worth of life and…none of us would remember what happened."

"Except for Barry," Superman agreed.

Brady frowned. "You won't remember any of us?"

"If I save my mom then dad'll never go to jail, I would never live with Joe and Iris…"

Cisco cut Barry off. "You'd never meet me, or Caitlin, or Ronnie, or Cadence, or Brady."

Cadence frowned. She hadn't thought of that. She had worked with the Assassination Bureau simply so that Harrison could be captured and Barry could get the revenge he wanted. Now he had that choice but something even stronger was standing in the way. Barry worked his whole life to save his mother's legacy; becoming a CSI so he could figure out what happened. Who wouldn't want him to do that? But on the other hand…there was so much else that was at stake. All of their friendships, their relationships…

"You have to do it," Joe said firmly. He shook his head for a second. "You'd get the choice to grow up with both parents. You'd get the chance not to have to grow up without a mother."

"But I'd grow up without a father," Barry said.

"You would have a father; you'd have your father. Harrison Wells has messed up our lives enough but you became the Flash for a reason. And if this is that reason to do it then don't let it go to waste."

Barry ran his hand over his face. Cadence studied him. Her eyes narrowed and she walked closer to him. Barry watched her approach but didn't say anything else as her eyes shifted to orange and she looked him up and down. His heat registers let he know what she already knew and as she looked Barry in the eye he didn't look away in shame. "You already made your decision," she remarked, eyesight going back to normal. "You're going to do it."

Slowly, Barry turned to look at everyone in the room. "He explained to me how to do it. I'd need to go at mach speed, even faster, around the particle accelerator, collide with a hydrogen atom, and open up a wormhole that would give me the chance to go back in time and for Harrison to go forward through time."

"Well, we're all so glad you made up your mind already," Cisco said shortly. He stood up from his seat, pushing it back so hard it crashed into the wall behind him. "Thanks for keeping us in the know. Is there anything else you'd like for us to do in the meantime?"

"He…he needs a time machine to make it through," Barry stammered. "He doesn't have the same sort of speed he used to have—"

"Say no more."

With that, the group started to disperse. While Cisco and Ronnie left the Cortex, Brady went over to Superman to ask him a bunch of questions about his powers and his suit, of which he seemed enamored of for his cape. Joe said something to Eddie and Iris and the three then left the cortex—hopefully, Cadence thought, to explain the reasons behind having kept Barry's powers a secret.

And and and and…

It was a lot for Cadence to take in. She walked over to the medical bay and sat down in an empty seat. She was glad for Barry, she really was. He had the chance to finally do what he wanted…but all of their lives would change. What was going to happen? And if Barry remembered it would anyone else remember? What did that mean for Tess? There were a lot of mixed emotions going on.

A hand gently lay on her shoulder and Cadence looked up to find Caitlin sitting in the seat across from her. "Hey, how are you holding up?"

"About what? That I've finally met my birth mother again…or knowing that within the next couple of hours it would've been like it never happened?" Cadence asked. She ran a hand over her face. "I don't think any of us are holding up very well."

"I know what you mean," Caitlin agreed. Her eyes narrowed for a second a she looked away. "Everything is happening so fast. A lot has been going on lately; Barry's powers developing, your powers developing, everything we've been though together…seems like it would all be going to waste, right?" She turned back to Cadence. "And that's a selfish thought, considering we all know Barry would do anything for his mother. But we're all human, right?"

"I'm glad someone else said it but me. I don't want to be accused of being self-centered again," Cadence joked. Her laughter stopped for a second. "Actually, I'm a little more worried about Brady. He adores Barry and loves being here with you guys. I don't think it's really hit him yet. Of what will happen."

"I don't think any of us have. This is the work I've put a lot of my life into, I never thought of there being anything else I'd rather be doing. But now it's different," Caitlin said honestly. "There's more than just my life on the line."

"Exactly."

"But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to let myself continue living until it's done." With that, Caitlin held out her left hand and Cadence glanced at it. Then she did a double-take, noticing the metallic ring sitting on her finger. "Ronnie proposed when you all got back. There's nothing in my life that I want more to be than his wife and I know that now more so than before."

Cadence lifted her gaze to meet Caitlin's eye. "What about Harrison?"

A sad smile came to Caitlin's lips. "I feel like I've really lost him," she said slowly. "But also that I never really knew him. If this was Eobard the entire time…then was everything fake? Did he really have feelings for me? Did he mean any of those things he said?"

Features twisting up, Cadence leaned away from Caitlin. "Am I supposed to be hearing this?"

"I'm just saying I understand how you feel. If Dr. Wells is really in there…that's great…but he has Tess, his wife whom he thought was dead. I can't…I couldn't possibly…" Caitlin trailed off. The two were silent for a moment. "If there's anything I know now it's to live in the moment. I love Ronnie and I'm always going to. And…in many ways I love Dr. Wells too. He's a big part of my life and he always will be. But not in the same way as before. It's too hard."

"Well, I'm happy for you, Cait," Cadence said, motioning to her ring. "I hope you and Ronnie are very happy together."

"I'll be even happier if you agree to be my maid of honor," Caitlin replied.

Cadence smiled and laughed. "Of course. I'll do anything just so long as I don't have to call you my step-mother." Caitlin laughed. "Though I have to admit I'm a little hurt that we aren't the ones getting married. I mean, I even had our colors picked out; a pale blue and a reddish-orange are really in with interior decoration right now, just imagine what it would've been like for a wedding theme."

Caitlin laughed again and leaned forward, embracing Cadence in a tight hug.

...

..

Barry raced after Cisco as he stormed from the Cortex towards his office; where all of his building equipment was stored. Ahead of him Barry could see Ronnie taking large strides in the same direction. It made Barry smile a little. There was so much at stake and he was still willing to help him out so easily. Too bad Cisco didn't feel quite the same way.

"Cisco slow down," Barry called after him.

"That's an ironic request coming from you," Cisco shot back. He let out a low sigh once Barry grasped his arm and turned him towards the wall, pressing him firmly against it. "Okay, so that wasn't the best one of my jokes, but I can come up with a lot of better ones."

"Come on Cisco, this is me you're talking to," Barry said. He tightened his grip on Cisco's shoulder. "I know this is hard for you to think of but you know why I have to do this."

"That's not why I'm mad, Barry, it's that…" Cisco trailed off. He turned away from Barry for a moment, running a hand through his hair. Then he turned back, eyes flashing. "It's that you're acting like we haven't become a team."

"Of course we're a team, Cisco!"

"You did a great job getting our opinions on this. Eobard says what he says to you and the next thing you know you take it at face value. How do we really know he's from the future?"

"He knows too much, Cisco. And you saw that newspaper. The one where I go missing in a battle with him, the one where Iris and Eddie get married, the one where a lot of us are fighting to protect the city! You were there, you saw it."

Cisco's eyes flashed. "Yeah, I saw it alright. And I'm trying my best to figure out how he managed to get that to work. It might be a future thing but I'm sure I could get Gideon to tell me what's up."

Barry crossed his arms. "Cisco."

Cisco lowered his gaze. "I don't always like my life, Barry…there was a lot of times I wish I could change things." He smirked. "Between my golden boy brother Dante and a set of parents who didn't get me at all. And school where even the nerds hated me and that made me the biggest nerd of all." He laughed, making Barry laugh as well.

He understood that. When he was in school he was picked on so much that not even the nerds wanted to hang around him. Sure, they tried to collaborate on projects and things but Barry was a bit of a loner, Iris aside. But his parents had a lot of love for him and that made it easier to handle.

"But you know what?" The change in Cisco's tone made Barry look up at him once more. "Now…I love my life. My insane, incredible life. And I know that Dr. Wells is an evil megalo-manic but he's the only reason I met you, Barry. And you're my best friend. And I know that you have to do this. I…I want you to do this." He reached out and grabbed onto Barry's shoulders, gently shaking him. "I want you to save your family. I just wish everything else didn't have to change." His voice went quiet as he shrugged, dropping his hands from Barry's shoulders.

Barry smiled. Then he reached out and placed his hands on Cisco's face. "Cisco, listen to me. I don't know what's going to happen but I can't imagine a world in which we don't end up being friends." He smiled through his sadness. He never knew Cisco to be so open about those feelings, always excited about everything that came their way.

This wasn't so exciting.

"Don't forget even when that other timeline got erased somehow you still remembered it. We'll find each other. The universe wants us to be bros."

Cisco smiled and Barry brought him into his arms in a hug. Cisco hugged him back and for a long moment the two friends—bros—held each other, not wanting to let go due to the mysterious of what would happen once Barry went back in time. If he went back in time.

"Well, if we're going to do this then I'll need to start on that time machine," Cisco said, finally pulling away. "And maybe take a picture so I don't forget. Or would that be altered too?" He turned on his heel and continued down the hallway, muttering to himself about things that would be changed within the timeline.

Reaching up, Barry ran a hand through his hair, resting it on the back of his neck. Then he turned around to find Cadence slowly walking his way. "Do you have a habit of creeping around corners?" He asked her.

"No, but Brady does now that he can just walk through walls and blend in with his surroundings," Cadence replied. She chuckled. "Trust me when I say he's really excited to have those powers. He can't wait to work on them more."

"I'm glad." Barry smiled. "He fought really well. He was really brave."

"Yeah, well, I think he's really scared now. I think he thinks that Eobard is going to come after him."

"I'm thinking the same thing," Barry replied. He took a deep breath through his nose. "How're you holding up?"

"Okay, I guess. Just what everyone else is thinking. Would we still meet? Would you and I have become friends? But like with what happened with the Reverse-Flash…I can't take this opportunity away from you. To save your mom. Whatever you decide Barry, I fully support."

A sigh of relief escaped Barry's lips and his shoulders slumped. "Good. Because I can't do this alone."

"You're never alone, Barry. You've got Joe and Iris and Eddie, and Cisco and Caitlin, and Brady, and Professor Stein, and Ronnie. And you have me."

Barry smiled and reached out his arm, wrapping it around Cadence and she put her arms around his neck in a gentle hug. Then she pulled back and kissed him then hugged him again, a tear rolling down her cheek.

A/N: Well, there were a lot of emotions working through this chapter, especially with SnowWells (though indirectly). I do still have one other SnowWells scene that's coming up in the next chapter. There's some more of it in the next chapter and as I can see so far (depending on the lengths) there are about two or three chapters left. Once the last chapter is posted the first chapter to the third story Fuel to the Fire will be up as well.

Again as I've said before, since this story was so heavy on elements from the show, the next one has more original stuff like Flash Fire did. Thanks for reading and reviewing guys.

Cheers,

-Riles